


I Think I'm Gonna Stay A Little While (2017)

by Saile



Series: ITEIAPGP [2]
Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, At least not inherently, Coping, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Denial, Developing Friendships, Dimension Travel, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Five Stages of Grief, Foreshadowing, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Inspired by Music, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Loss of Parent(s), Minor Character Death, Mostly Platonic Relationships, Not a Love Story, Not a SongFic though, Not as heavily as the first book though, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, References to Depression, Symbolism, War, serious topics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-28 19:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30144375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saile/pseuds/Saile
Summary: After the dance, it's clear that there's something important that needs to be explained. With Marco and Jackie at her side, Star is determined to find out what exactly happened to Mewni.  But you can't spell trouble without a little you in it. Maybe it wasn't what they thought it was. Maybe.. Maybe it's more than what they think it really is. But what if there was a way to bring it back?(Unfinished) Sequel to the I Think Earth Is A Pretty Great Place fic.
Relationships: Marco Diaz & Jackie Lynn Thomas, Star Butterfly & Jackie Lynn Thomas, Star Butterfly & Marco Diaz & Jackie Lynn Thomas, Star Butterfly & Marco Diaz & Jackie Lynn Thomas & Janna Ordonia, Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz
Series: ITEIAPGP [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2218548





	1. February

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, present author uploading this right now in 2021! Just a heads up, this fic is in fact unfinished. HOWEVER. I do plan to rewrite the series or at the very least finish the second book. Don't know when. It happens when it happens. This one is also more situation-centric rather than romance/relationship-based- Though, platonic relationships are a big big focus in this one. This one focuses more on the coping aspect of Star's situation. The people she leans on and the struggles she faces, including and most especially the five stages of grief. 
> 
> There will also be a lot more Author's Notes in this one, as some plot points and other small little details happen to get a little confusing due to lack of proper explanation. 
> 
> One more heads up, of course, this book contains references to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other things along the lines, as well as war, loss, and death. If you're sensitive to such content, please feel free to move on! Your mental wellbeing is more important. :)

Hi, my name is Star Butterfly. Life is changing, and sometimes it's not always for the better. But one thing that I've learned so far, is that you do have the choice to do something about it. You can sulk over it, or you can live on. That is unless it's over. Because if we're talking about my story, it's far from being over. In fact, I'd say it's only just begun. My name is Star Butterfly, princess of Mewni. My life is changing, and I don't know if it's for the better or not. But one thing that I do know, is that I'm going to do something about it.

Star groaned boredly, taking her hair out of a short ponytail. Long months had passed since that memorable October and September, where all the chaos had happened; A break had taken place. Ever since, Star had taken a break from all seriousness, to gather herself together until she felt comfortable enough to say Earth was home. As expected, she could not. There seemed to be no possible way that she could ever call this godforsaken planet her home. Her home was Mewni. It was always Mewni. Well, at least she'd always thought so.

Star had been pacing the hallway for the past half hour by the time Jackie opened her door curiously. "Is there something wrong?" Jackie raised an eyebrow. Star peered up to Jackie as she laid upside down against the wall, then scrunched her nose. "It's so nice outside, I don't know what to do." Star sat up, crossing her legs. Jackie then chuckled, shaking her head to the girl with black hair. "Star, if you want to do something just ask." "I know, I know, but the thing is... What is there to do?" Star brushed back a strand of her freshly dyed hair. "We live in California..." Jackie furrowed her eyebrows contradictingly. "Your point?" Star helped herself up before crossing her arms at Jackie. "What isn't there to do?" She finished her sentence, pursing her lips sassily. Jackie shook her head with a smile as she spoke to Star. "Let's see if Marco and Janna want to hang out." Jackie grabbed her skateboard, giving a grin to Star- Who, mutually, returned the favor.  
A navy blue sky with a golden tint acted as a backdrop to a layer of an orange sun. The sky was glowing with orange rays of sunlight. The stars that were fading into visual seemed to look like golden drops from the sun's rays. So it's been said.  
Marco grumbled, shaking his head at all three of the girls. "Come on Marco, you take forever!" Janna yelled. Marco sat at the top of a fence, peering down at Jackie, Star, and Janna. "Do I really have to?" He sighed. "I got it." Star rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Although, she let a small smile break her expression as she chuckled a little. Climbing the fence, Star reached the top. Sitting beside Marco on the fence, she grabbed his hoodie. "Please don't." He quickly looked to Star with a fearful expression. "Marco, keep your eyes on me." She told him, a serious tone in her voice. "Why? What are you going to-" Marco was interrupted when Star picked him up and threw him off the tall fence. As Marco yelled loudly, Star jumped off the fence right after. Janna and Jackie both chuckled at the scene as Star helped Marco up from the ground. "Are you guys sure we won't get caught?" Marco asked, Star taking his arm and helping him up. His eyes were locked on Jackie and Janna. They shrugged. "I've never been caught, I doubt it." Janna replied, Star walking right next to her. "Okay." He mumbled hesitantly, following the girls as they walked up to a gate. As all four of them peered up to the top of the tall gate, Marco raised an eyebrow. "Wait what exactly are we doing at the graveyard again?" Jackie shrugged, pursing her lips. "Cmon guys, catch up. We're going ghost hunting!" Janna grinned, eyes shifting from Jackie and Marco to Star, who was beside her. "Yeah, it'll be fun." Star winked, before turning to face the gate. "We just climbed over a fence, don't tell me we have to do it again." Marco frowned. "Cheer up, Marco, I'm sure they'll find a way in." Jackie nudged him in the arm, giving an assuring smile. "Yeah, Marco, look!" Janna chuckled, as all of them quickly gave their attention to Star. Unknowing everyone was watching, Star spun around on her heel, then threw her foot up into the air, kicking the gate. As the force of her foot impacted with the gate, the padlock fell to the dirt ground with a muffled clatter. "Whoa." They all breathed in unison, staring in awe at the girl with black hair who had just broken open a graveyard gate. "Let's hope those ghosts are welcoming.. Especially with that greeting." Jackie furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms and shaking her head- smiling.  
"What a bummer." Janna sighed as they all walked up to Jackie's house door. "What did you expect?" Jackie raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Possession." Janna inexpressively stated. "Yikes." Star sharply inhaled, wincing. "Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Janna smirked, before walking off home alone. Jackie walked inside, holding the house door open for Star. "C'mon it's late." Jackie said. "Um. Actually, I'll head inside in just a moment. I have something I want to do." Star smiled kindly to Jackie. Jackie nodded, closing the door and heading inside. As Jackie's shadow disappeared behind walls, Star turned to face Marco, who stood still examining the night sky. "Marco?" Star's tone grew softer and quieter. The boy with the brown hair turned to look at Star, his caramel glazed brown eyes inspecting her expression. "Yes?" He raised an eyebrow. "Sorry for throwing you over the fence." Star quietly apologized. She gave an awkward smile, as Marco returned the favor. "I'm used to it at this point." He admitted, laughing a little. "Yeah.." Star chuckled along, before fading out and letting her eyes shift to the night sky. "Today was fun." she mumbled to herself. "Hm?" Marco raised an eyebrow. "Oh, nothing. Good night Marco." Star peered to him, as he did as well. "Good night, Star." He let a small smile slip out. "See you tomorrow!" He quickly called out to Star, before she closed the door. As their eyes met, Star nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "Go home, Marco." She shook her head, chuckling a little. Shutting the door, Marco stood for a moment after the scene. "Huh.." He mumbled to himself, shoulders bouncing a little. He smiled as he walked off, eyes watching the starry California night sky.


	2. Ankle-Deep.

Soft, wispy, grey clouds scattered out across the navy blue sky, small little stars twinkling high from above. "It's five AM, why is it so hot in here?" A female voice tiredly groaned. Star sat up from her white sheets, rubbing her eyes. As she climbed out of bed, she silently unlocked her window. Sliding it open, she blinked herself awake. Her eyes scanned the dark neighborhood, street lights being the only source of light around besides the stars and the moon. She sighed and hesitated to shut her window. "I'll just leave it open, it's too hot in here anyway." She mumbled to herself, going to lay back down in her bed. As she plopped her back onto the white sheets, she turned her head to her night stand. One thing caught her eye. A picture frame of her family. "Oh, don't get sappy on me." She whispered to herself, carefully grabbing the picture frame. Two taller figures stood behind the focal point. The focal point being Star. Star ran her fingers across the dusty photo of herself from before October, remembering her long blonde hair and optimism. Star sighed, eyes shifting to her parents. "I'm doing okay, it seems." She spoke softly. She gently placed the photo under her pillow and rested her head on it. "Good night, mom. Good night, dad." She mumbled, before closing her eyes and falling asleep.  
"Good morning, Star!" A male voice called out as Star made her way to school. Turning around, Star raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Morning, Marco." She calmly greeted, turning back around and continuing her walk. As Marco raced to catch up, he caught his breath once he walked at her pace. "Did you hear on the news?" The brunette excitedly asked. "No, I don't watch the news." Star kept her eyebrows raised, amused at his energy. She kept a small grin on her face, though, as they spoke. "Love Sentence is coming to town for their 7th reunion tour!" He clasped his hands together before throwing them outward- almost like a firework. Star watched, clearly amused. "I don't even know what that is." She informed him, shifting her eyes to their feet. "They're this really cool band!" He exclaimed, beginning to ramble. Star pursed her lips, growing distracted. His voice faded to the back of her mind, a new thought seeping into focus. "And-! I'm rambling, aren't I? Star?" Marco spoke quickly, then paused as he noticed his friend slowing her pace. He stood in place, waiting for her to make her way back next to him. The empty spot beside him on the concrete stood empty, the only figure to hover over it was his own shadow. "Star? Is there something wrong?" Marco furrowed his eyebrows together worriedly. "Huh?" Star withdrew from her thoughts, realizing she was beginning to sink too far deep into her mind. But this was not the furthest this girl could wander inside her own mind. She was only standing ankle-deep in an ocean of flowing thoughts. This girl was far from drowning in her mind, but she was alone in the hollow space of it all. It was just her. Her and her thoughts. "No... Sorry, Marco." She apologized, feeling as if she were only half awake. "Are you sure? You don't look okay." He frowned, tilting his head. Star nodded, then bit her lip. Her eyes scanned her surroundings before landing on Marco's eyes- locking onto them. "Let's just go to school." She awkwardly broke the eye contact, shuffling her feet a little before they continued their trek onward.

She slammed her locker, the hallway grew empty as the students scattered and dismissed. "Can we talk?" Jackie brushed back her platinum blonde hair, locking her locker before turning to Marco. "Of course we can, Marco. What's up?" She asked, smiling. Headed to the fro-yo shop not too far away, Marco began. "Star seems kind of off today, is there something bothering her?" He asked worriedly. "Maybe a little down in the dumps. We all get that way. Did you try talking to her about it?" Jackie raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Well... Kind of. She wasn't really uh... Honest. I mean- You could tell." He explained. "Right. Is it a different kind of "off" or has she been like this before?" Jackie frowned at the news. "I don't know, it just happened this morning. She hasn't been talking much today, either. "She's usually pretty talkative." Marco shrugged. "Talkative? So is this the word choice we're using now? Are we talking about the same person?" Jackie joked, attempting to bring in a little light humor. Marco awkwardly chuckled, brushing it off. "Haha. Right... Anyway, any idea?" Marco furrowed his eyebrows together. Jackie bit her lip, shrugging. "Tell ya what, we can talk more about this over fro-yo. I am starving." She attempted to change the conversation. "Do you think we should-" Marco began, before getting cut off. Jackie stepped in front of him, blocking his path. She took hold of his hands, holding them both between the two of them. "Marco, it's okay. I'll talk to her about it later." Jackie gave an assuring smile to her companion. "Right- Sorry. Fro-yo." Marco shook it off, slipping loose of Jackie's grasp.  
"So. Love Sentence, huh?" Jackie scooped a spoonful of cotton candy fro-yo from her cup, shoving it into her mouth. She grinned as she peered to Marco. They sat on a bench at the nearby park, watching the geese wildly roam. "You heard?!" A large smile faded onto Marco's face. "Duh! We should go!" Jackie suggested, a mouthful of fro-yo making her words sound muffled. "Actually... That's a great idea! You, me, Janna, and Star can all go together!" His eyes lit up as he finished the last taste of his fro-yo. He threw out the empty paper cup in the trash can beside the bench, then faced Jackie. "Yeah, it'll be fun!" She smiled, nudging Marco in the arm. "You just gave me an idea." He grinned. "Oh boy." Jackie's eyes widened, as she sat up straight, eyes shifting to her feet before wincing. "What's the great idea?" Jackie raised an eyebrow, sitting back- relaxed. "I say we have a surprise for Star! That'll cheer her up for sure." Marco explained. "You're still on that?" Jackie frowned. "Of course I am, she's our friend too." Marco returned the gesture, a little irked Jackie didn't seem to care. Jackie sighed and stood up. Taking a pen from her pocket, she rolled up Marco's left sleeve. "What are you doing?" Marco raised an eyebrow. Jackie backed up after writing something on the dorsal of his hand, then smirked at him. "Leave a message for her." Jackie winked. Marco's eyes quickly widened as Jackie began to walk away- content. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" He yelled at her as he stood up from the bench. "Oh, I know!" Jackie turned around, laughing at her cleverness. Marco- flustered- walked back home, staring at the dorsal of his hand. Reading the number left for him in pen. "She's going to be so excited." Marco thought to himself happily.

As the pastel lavender skies grew to a sickeningly beautiful hollow blue, stars faded past the sheets of the atmosphere- reaching visual. The moon shone down vibrantly upon the dark cities, including the small town of Echo Creek. Moondust sparkled elegantly, prancing around lively- almost like sugar plum fairies. It was not only the moon dust that pranced around lively, as did Star's thoughts.  
Jackie hesitantly lurked around Star's shut bedroom door, the white paint taunting her. Jackie sighed and went for it. There was a soft knock at her door, making Star instinctively turn around. There was little light in her room, as she'd shut it off to find peaceful solitude so she could think to herself. Star sat at her opened window, a candle flame flickering side to side because of gentle winds. "Yes?" Star asked quietly, Jackie carefully pushing the door open. "Hey, Star..." Jackie faded out, smiling kindly- Evidently worried, although. "I'm fine, I promise." Star had a gut feeling this was because of Marco. She turned to face the window again, taking in the cold February air. "Are you sure? If there's something bothering you, you know I'm here to talk. And-!" Jackie spoke slowly at first but grew quicker with every word. She cut herself off, worried she was coming off as overly worried. She took a deep breath before smiling to Star. She walked over beside her, crouching down to her height. Star peered at her, furrowing her eyebrows in a confused manner. "And there's always Maria." Jackie softly continued. Star nodded, scrunching up her nose before looking to the candle. "Homesickness is an illness that can't be cured." Star muttered, Jackie frowning at her admittance. "Sure it can, Star." Jackie watched Star, examining how she hopelessly watched the flame dance to its doom. "Home is not a place, it is a feeling." Star thought to herself, but did not say anything. She kept her mouth sewed shut, almost like a rag doll. For that is how she felt. Like a doll. You can change it in so many physical ways, but there is no possible way to change what it has been through. Dolls are for playing, but Star was not. No matter the feeling, Star brushed it off. "Star I know it's been a while since you last talked about it, but why did you come here?" Jackie broke the ice, frowning. Star shifted her eyes to the moon, then to Jackie. "I haven't even told everything to anyone yet." Star thought to herself. "How am I supposed to tell Jackie?" Jackie put a hand on her shoulder, both exchanging glances. "It's okay, you don't have to. I just want you to know that I'm here." Jackie smiled assuringly, making Star feel a little more comforted. "Thanks, Jackie." She scrunched her nose, whispering. As Jackie stood to leave, she left the door ajar. Just in case Star needed her. Let there be no disruption between the two and their friendship. As Jackie disappeared from her room, Star sighed. She took her phone out, peering at the black screen. As she pressed the power button, her phone flashed a vibrant white. Three texts from an unknown number. "What the...?" She mumbled under her breath, reading it.

Unknown ID: hi star

Unknown ID: hope you're okay

Unknown ID: sorry that was sudden

Star furrowed her eyebrows at the messages, trying to think about who it could be. No one seemed to want to talk to her besides Jackie, Janna, and Marco. And even so, Jackie was usually with Star so she wouldn't need to text her. Jackie was the only one with her number, anyway. Marco and Janna always just texted Jackie if they needed Star to know anything, that way Jackie could tell Star. Star bit her lip, contemplating if whether or not she should reply. With quite a load of hesitation, Star finally decided to reply back.

Star Butterfly is typing...

Star Butterfly: hey. who's this?

Unknown ID is typing...

Unknown ID: oh... does it matter?

Star Butterfly is typing...

Star Butterfly: kinda. do i know you?

Unknown ID is typing...

Unknown ID: sorry!! are you okay?

Star Butterfly is typing...

Star Butterfly: yes i'm okay.

Unknown ID is typing...

Unknown ID: you don't seem like it... Are you positive? If there's something you want to talk about, I can assure you that I'm here to listen.

Star Butterfly is typing...

Star Butterfly: No, I'm not.

Delete Message? The other user will not be able to see this message if it is deleted.

[Delete] Keep

Deleting Message...

Message Successfully Deleted!

Star sighed, turning off her phone and blowing out the candle that was already slowly dying. As she stood up from her seat at the window, she walked over to her bed. Slinging the sheets off, she plopped down and then tugged the sheets to cover her up to her neck. Almost like the ocean on the shoreline. She peered outside the window from her bed, watching the moon and the stars twinkle ever-so-gracefully. She gave a slight reminiscent smile at the sight, before turning to her side and falling asleep with her phone in her hands. Her phone in which buzzed the messages she really needed to hear that day. The three words she'd needed to hear since the day she arrived.

Unknown ID: It'll be okay.


	3. "I Stayed The Same."

At sunrise, the sky was glowing a fluorescent golden orange and yellow. Puffy wisps of clouds were tinted with pink and red- as if someone took dye and blended it into the cloud.  
Star sat up on her bed, running her hands through her short black hair. A panic shot through her system as she realized her hair was not her long blonde locks anymore. Gathering herself together, Star took a breath. "Right..." She muttered under her breath. Pushing her white sheets to the side, she stood from her bed tiredly. Hearing a muffled thud, Star peeked under her bed to see what the noise was. Her phone had clattered onto the rug her feet stood flat against. Star walked her way over to the other side of her room, next to the door. Picking up her phone, she turned it on. Greeted by a flash of a familiar home screen, Star recognized the text icon. "Oh." She mumbled to herself past her messy black hair that stuck to her glossy lips. She shook it off and decided to get ready for the day. She planned on doing nothing except exploring in the woods with her, and her thoughts, alone. Slipping on a black short sleeved shirt and black ripped jeans, she tied a red flannel around her hips. She bit her lip, an empty feeling settling deep within her stomach. She blew it off, opening her door. Jackie stood at Star's doorway, eyes examining Star's. Surprised at the suddenness, Star flinched, taking a step back. "Are you alright?" Jackie asked. "Yes." Star replied quickly, nodding her head. Attempting to end the conversation, she tried to bypass Jackie. Unsuccessfully failing, Jackie blocked her path. "Are you sure?" Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Was that you?" Star sighed, showing a hint of frustration and annoyance. Jackie furrowed her eyebrows, tucking her blonde and mint blue hair behind her peachy ears. "What?" She tilted her head. "Nothing." Star shook her head, peering to her feet. "Where are you going?" Jackie moved out of the way, letting Star continue her path to the front door all the way down two floors. "Forest. Want to come?" Star offered, not peering back to Jackie as she tied the laces to her black sneakers. "Actually, I'll have to pass." Jackie kindly denied, causing Star to pause mid-loop, and turn around. "What? Why?" She asked, a little hurt. "I'm actually- uh... Doing something. I have plans." Jackie admitted awkwardly, Star furrowing her eyebrows to her friend. "Oh. Okay...?" Star replied- almost confused. "What's the matter? You seem off-put by it." Jackie pointed out, sitting down on the stair steps as she watched Star continue to tie her shoes. "Oh, well... I mean... You were just at my door seeming like you wanted to talk and hang out, I guess. I assumed you wanted to do something together." Star admitted gently. "Pfff. That's okay, Star. Thank you, though. You have fun, okay? You going with anyone else?" Jackie asked, standing up and walking over to the door to open it. Star watched her carefully before replying. "No. Just me, myself, and I. Who are you going to meet up with?" Star stood up straight, finishing the last knot in her laces. "Oh-! Right. Just some people." Jackie gave a smile to Star over her shoulder. Star returned an awkward laugh, as well as a nod. Walking out the door, Jackie followed behind- Shutting the door once she stepped outside. "Well, you have fun with your group of pals." Star awkwardly smiled, before Jackie gave a smile in return. "You have fun with your forest adventure." She replied. Star gave a slow nod before heading off on her little trek.

"She's out on her own?" Janna tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. Jackie nodded in response, Janna scrunching up her nose in a contemplating manner. Just as Jackie went to speak, the chime of a tiny bell rang out in the coffee shop. Pushing open the glass door was a latino boy with brown hair and mocha skin. "Marco!" Jackie turned around, her mint blue eyes examining his caramel brown irises. A smile tugged at her apricot lips, almost like the twinge of remorse tugging inside of Marco. He returned the gesture, smiling back kindly. "So we have to arrange a plan-" Marco informed, walking up to the counter to order. "No need- we got you your drink." Jackie interrupted him, handing him a warm cup of to-go coffee. He turned to her with a touched smile and took hold of the cup gently. "Thank you." He followed them out the coffee shop, the warm sun brushing over their skin- the rays soaking into their systems. As they spoke, they walked around to a picnic table nearby outside. As they plopped down onto the benches, Janna cut to the chase. "So we're going to have a whole day dedicated to making Star happy?" Janna raised an eyebrow, smiling slyly. Marco passed an unamused expression to Janna's interpretation of the activity. "Yes." Marco replied, brushing off her teasing. "Well, what are we going to do first?" Jackie inquired, tilting her head and twirling her platinum blonde hair. "I was hoping we could start the day off by making it seem like you just want to hang out with Star." Marco explained, smiling hopefully. "Sure, that's normal. She wouldn't suspect anything out of the ordinary." Jackie replied with a grin. "I'll 'accidentally' run into them somehow!" Janna jumped in excitedly, slamming her fists on the table. Jackie and Marco laughed, "That's a good idea. Then you three can hang out at the movies or something, while I get reservations." Marco outlined. "Reservations?" Jackie's eyebrow did a confused dance, as did Janna's. "I'll pay, don't worry. Just a small little dinner. You know?" Janna and Jackie peered to each other with a look of "Oh boy." Marco scrunched up his nose, evidently irritated at the scene. "Too much?" He frowned. Janna peered to Marco, an expression of sympathy. "What?" He furrowed is eyebrows together. "How about star gazing instead?" Jackie quickly broke the awkward tension, speaking fast. Marco turned to her, puzzled. Jackie gave a sincere smile, then shrugged. Marco sighed, then nodded. "Alright, then that's what we'll do. Jackie, wake Star up first thing in the morning. Take her to maybe do something fun. Janna, keep in contact with Jackie to make sure you guys know where you're going to meet up. Make sure Star doesn't know or catch on. When you all run into each other, you three can go see a movie while I check out places to go stargazing." Marco reviewed. "How will we meet up with you?" Janna asked, standing up from her seat on the bench. "I'll find a way." Marco brushed it off, casually. Jackie stood up, as did Marco. "Is it final?" Marco waited for the confirmation. "Final." Janna and Jackie spoke in unison. They all smiled at each other, before walking off together to find something fun.

Star made her way past the lake she used to spend all her time at, unlocking the gate inside the forest. Past all her thoughts, one seemed to be hanging on in the back of her mind. And whatever it was, seeing that forest for the first time since last year must've triggered it to replay in her mind.

"Why'd you want to talk to me? I thought you hated me?" Tom cocked his head as they sat in the forest. "I guess I just need someone who'd be there for me." She quietly responded. "I see... What's wrong?" He frowned sympathetically. She shook her head, rolling her crystal blue eyes. "I don't know what's going on anymore. My parents are gone, my friends are gone, my home is gone... And here I am on Earth with no idea what to do anymore, and with no absolute purpose whatsoever. Not only that, but I swear... I don't understand this horrible feeling of aching and breaking into pieces. I feel warm and tingly inside sometimes, but I also feel like I'm sinking further and further down underwater screaming yet no one can hear me." She croaked past the dam of tears she choked back. "Star..." Tom began quietly. "You know what? You mean so much to me, I don't want you to ever think like that ever. You have meaning still, and that's to live for your parents and bring Mewni back. There are still people out there who will agree with me, Star. You're grieving, and ... you're..." He faded out. "She likes someone.." His mind whispered. "I can't have this happening." He thought. "I'm .. what?" She peered at him worryingly. "You're everything to me and I don't want to lose that." He spilled out recklessly. She froze. "Tom..." She breathed. "I- I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that..." He stood, reaching for the bell from his pocket. "No..." Star muttered. "What?" He turned around, furrowing his eyebrows. "I know, you didn't need that. I- I'm going." He spoke out. She stood up, standing in front of him as it slowly began to lightly rain. Thunder sounded out in the distance. She stood silently as he stood there, staring at her. He examined her hurt expression. "I'm sorry." He apologized as she furrowed her eyebrows, about to ask what he meant. Tom- without hesitation- reached for her, wrapping his arms around her waist- hugging her. Star was frozen still, trying to take in everything that was going on. "M-" She began to speak once Tom let go. He frowned, examining her expression closely before turning around and ringing the bell. "Tom, wha-?!" She began, but before she knew it, Tom had disappeared. "Tom?" She called out. "Why did I almost call him-.." She whispered in the back of her mind, feeling her heart wreck into pieces. "This can't be happening." She whispered to herself, rain pouring down even harder.

"Oh god." Star winced at the memory, closing the gate gently. Overlooking the thought, Star continued her journey through the wooded area. Arriving at a miniature waterfall in the forest, Star smiled- content. "Oooh how cute and relaxing." She mumbled, taking out her phone to take a photo. Star clicked her texts icon, ready to send it to Jackie- As she normally did when finding a new place she enjoyed. Message sent to Unknown ID. "Oh. That's not what I meant to do!" Star panicked, a tinge of dismay in her voice. But it was too late, the person on the other line had already read the message. "Oh my god what if they know where I am? What if they come to see me?" Star freaked out, jogging in place with fright. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. Hesitantly- The girl peeked at her phone. Did you mean that for me? It read. Star sharply inhaled, not wanting to come off as a jerk. A few months around a little positivity had rubbed off on her, as a few months ago she wouldn't have cared about hurting the other's feelings. Ahaha maybe... Do you like nature? She replied, wincing at her "cringiness." Not even a minute later, another buzz vibrated from her phone. I love nature, it's really relaxing. I'm usually outside, actually. The message read. Star chuckled, amused at the mutual feeling toward nature. Me too. Are you outside right now? She asked, a smile plastered across her face. Yeah! I'd ask you, but it's kind of obvious that you are. The Unknown ID replied. Star snorted at the response, and before she knew it, she was sitting at the edge of the tiny waterfall all day- texting this amusing stranger. Okay okaY truth or dare? Star texted back, an empty feeling of excitement in her stomach. Truth! They replied. HM... Okay! Is it true I know you in person? Star playfully asked. Wow, what a fair turn!! The person was clearly not much for sharing information. Well, you know who I am! Why can't I know who you are? Star frowned as she typed her reply, the emptiness of excitement slowly churning and fading into loneliness once again. Augh... Um... Okay. You do know me, but if you knew who I was you'd stop texting me... The Unknown ID had responded 2 minutes later. Reluctantly, Star began to type. Tom? She backspaced. "It's not Tom." She thought in the back of her mind. "Jackie? No, she was too confused about it earlier when confronted about it... Janna? No, Janna would just ask you in person. What about... Marco? Could it be Marco?" If it really was, Star was most certain she would not stop talking to him. Well, actually... Was she? There was no reason to stop talking to him, if anything that'd give more of a reason to talk to him more often. Of course, though, it was not. Marco wouldn't spend most of his day texting Star; Especially if he knew it was her. At least, from what Star thought. That's okay. Is there anything I can call you? Star replied, hopeful that it would be a nickname she could recognize. You can call me Mud. They responded. Mud? Is that like... Is that like... Dirt and water mud? Star replied, utterly perplexed. Oh my gosH jusT caLL mE MuD OK? They seemed to answer her question by laughing at it and turning it into a joke. That intrigued Star. "What an interesting person." She smiled gently. Okay, Mud. I'm glad we talked. Star sent, standing up from her rock at the small waterfall. She gazed into the night sky, rain starting to fall. "Oh my god, not again." Star muttered, quickly grabbing her coat and slinging it over her head.

As she ran out of the forest hurriedly, her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Unlocking the forest gate, she yelped. "OH MY GOD!" She screamed, running into a figure. Holding her arms up defensively, she kept her eyes shut. "Star?" A familiar voice comforted her, as it swam through her ears. Slowly, Star lowered her arms and peeked past the black leather of her coat sleeve. "M-Marco?" She furrowed her eyebrows together, her muscles relaxing. She brushed back a strand of her moppy black hair. "What are you doing here?" She asked, puzzled. "Me, Jackie, and Janna were hanging out and we were heading home when we noticed it was going to rain. I- uh- I told Jackie I could walk you back home since it's late out." Marco explained. "Oh. Did she like... uh... Tell you where I was?" Star felt a sharp sensation in her chest at the first sentence. "I just asked her." Marco spoke, a little confused that he had to explain the obvious. "Oh- Right!" Star snapped back to reality, realizing that it was evident. "Sorry." She quietly apologized. "Don't be. C'mon we gotta get you home before it starts downpouring even more." Marco chuckled. Star couldn't help but feel comforted, letting a smile tug at her once Marco turned around. "Okay, but it's already downpouring hard enough." Star raised an eyebrow at him. Marco walked beside her, street lights glowing a dim yellow upon the wet concrete. The sky was a perfect shade of blue and black, the stars dotting along the horizon like sprinkles on a cake. "Right. We should probably hurry our pace." Marco admitted, scrunching his nose up as if he were flustered. Though, that wouldn't happen. Star felt a weird sensation in her stomach. It was the emptiness again. But which? She peered up at Marco, who walked along beside her. He kept his eyes on what was in front of them. But Star? She kept her eyes on Marco. She watched as he disregarded every little raindrop that smacked the back of his neck. Marco looked at Star with confusion. "What are you waiting for?" Marco asked, confused. "What?" Star blinked, face flashing pink. "We gotta hurry up if we're going to get you back home in time!" Marco re-explained. "OH. Right!" Star remembered, quickly brushing off the thought prior. As she began to run, Marco grabbed her shoulder from behind her. Almost slipping, Star shouted. "Not that fast." Marco informed, both hands on Star's shoulders to make sure she wouldn't fall. She peered to him over her shoulder, crossing her arms. "Then I guess we're going to take a little while." Star sighed, straightening her posture as Marco let go of her and walked up beside her. They both laughed, shaking their heads in the rain. And oh boy, was it fun. Oh boy, was it fun.


	4. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUTURE A/N:   
> HEY. AUTHOR HERE. AGAIN. The awkward transition I recently found the notebook I wrote it in. I'm too lazy to get it right now, but I'll update and fix the lost transition when I can! Thanks.

It was that next night that took Star by the neck- Strangling her.

Star sat up, her short hair all brushed into her face like a wild lion's mane. "This mane needs some taming." She mumbled past the forest of hair. Brushing it back, Star climbed out of bed. She picked up her phone from the charger on her nightstand, as well as her hair brush. As she turned it on, more texts flashed on screen. Star felt a wave of comfort crash over her, eyes reading over the messages she'd forgot to check the night before. I'm glad we talked too, Star. Have a good night, I hope you don't feel lonely again. Star smiled, her cheeks flushing. "Oh my god." She shook her head at this new friend. After a few minutes of contemplating whether or not to message them back, Star finally decided she'd send the first message. hello, mud. Is all she said, hoping that it didn't sound too casual. There was almost an immediate response as Star stood from her bed to get changed. After slipping on a giant gray sweater, Star grabbed her phone again from her bed. Just as she went to read the reply, there was a tapping on her door. Star peered up, realizing it was probably Jackie. "I'll be out there in a minute." Star shouted to her from past the wooden door. Star gathered her things- A wallet, and her phone- putting it in a small bag she slung over her shoulder. Creaking open the door, Star stepped out from her room."Yes, Jackie?" Star raised an eyebrow, holding her breath. "Star!" Jackie smiled. "Did you need something?" Star closed her room door behind her, eyes locked with Jackie's. "Yep! You're coming with me to go pick up some things at the mall." Jackie poked Star's shoulder, smiling. "Oh? Why?" Star furrowed her eyebrows together, still confused. "Because! We haven't been hanging out much lately, so I decided maybe we could use this as a chance to hang out." Jackie explained- almost pleading. Star shifted her eyes to the side, looking away from Jackie. She thought a moment, before looking back to Jackie. "Okay." She agreed, nodding."C'mon, this'll be fun." Jackie assured, taking Star's wrist and running down the stairs with her.

"Okay, what did you need to pick up?" Star pursed her lips sassily as Jackie tried her best to occupy Star. Quickly realizing Star was getting suspicious, Jackie paused. "I needed to pick up a tee shirt!" Jackie stalled, pointing to a store on the top floor of the mall. "Jackie that's like 3 floors up and the elevators are down today." Star sighed, pointing out. "Right..." She mumbled, eyes shifting away. Star sighed once more, shaking her head at this useless situation. "I could be in the forest right now, but I guess I'm stuck here till we're done." Star muttered to herself. "I'm sorry, I'm trying." Jackie frowned at Star a little hurt. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just finding it hard to get motivated to do anything lately, and the only thing that's made me find a decent amount of motivation to do anything is someone I don't even know." Star admitted. "What do you mean?" Jackie sat down on a leather mall seat, Star doing the same. They tilted their heads back to look at all the floors in the mall. "Nevermind." Star shook her head. "Don't know what you're saying, do you?" Both of them heard a familiar voice in front of them, sitting up to look at who it was. "Janna!" Jackie exclaimed as if a sigh of relief were let out somewhere in her shout. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, it's I, Janna Banana." Janna greeted with a friendly smile. "Nice to see you, Jan." Star calmly welcomed. "Thanks, man. What's up with you guys? I didn't think I'd run into you here." Janna casually initiated conversation, Star biting her lip. "Jackie dragged me along on a journey to buy a t-shirt." Star summarized, annoyed. "Yikes. Well, if you want, you guys should come hang out with me. Who cares about some boring tee when we can go see a movie?" Janna offered, grinning. "I'm offended." Jackie sarcastically stated, expressing an unamused expression toward Janna. Star snickered at the scene, standing up from the chair. "Gladly. I hate social places, the mall has so many people trying to start conversation. Trying to offer their products. I'd rather sit in the dark and live through someone else's life for 2 hours while barely anyone talks to me." Star slipped out, her tone monotonous. Janna andJackie blankly stared at her, frozen with absolutely no response. "What." Janna spoke. "Alrighty then." Jackie stood up, hoping to break the awkwardness. "Maybe this will cheer you up, Star. Cmon, lighten up a little!" Janna smiled, nudging Star. Star scrunched up her face, shrugging one shoulder. "Sure." She went along with it. Jackie and Janna peered to each other, exchanging glances of pure worry.

"What do you mean the park closes at 9?" Marco shouted. "Sorry, sir. The park is reserved for someone's birthday party." A slender lady stood before him at the gates of the park. "There's gotta be some way we can get in." Marco pleaded at the feet of the Asian woman. "No can do, mister. You gotta do it somewhere else." The lady rolled her eyes at his determination. Marco sighed, turning away from the park gates. He peered out to the ocean of city lights around him, suddenly feeling an idea bubbling up inside him. He grinned, bolting off to put it to the test.

Janna, Jackie, and Star all walked out of the theater. "My favorite part was when he used the banana as a distraction weapon kinda thing." Janna peered to them with a smile, chuckling. They all laughed, star shaking her head and silently laughing. "I liked the part where he stayed at his house overnight and when they tried to find him, he was gone." Star mumbled, hair covering her face awkwardly. She smiled a little, Jackie and Janna smiling back to her. "See, that was fun!" Jackie grinned to Star. "Yeah. I guess it was." Star tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. Star smiled awkwardly, Jackie and Janna returning the favor. "So... What now?" Star raised an eyebrow, Janna slipping her phone out. Jackie watched as Janna quickly walked away from the two- Phone pulled close to her ear. "Where's she going? Wh- What's she doing?" Star stammered, worriedly furrowing her eyebrows at Jackie. "Don't worry, she's probably just getting us a ride home."Jackie assured calmly, turning to peer at Janna- Who stood far away, mumbling words into the phone. Jackie frowned, an empty sensation planting itself inside her stomach. "He'd better hurry..." Jackie whispered taking her phone out to check the time.

"Why aren't you here yet?" Janna's aggressive tone muttered loudly past the phone static. "I'm sorry! The park was closed so there was a little delay." Marco apologized in a high pitch. "Look, we're waiting for you outside of the theater." Janna sighed, index and thumb pressed against the bridge of her nose. "I know, I know. I'm coming. Just-" Marco sighed past the grained audio. "I'm coming." He repeated, assuring her in a soft tone. "Get here faster, all these shops are boring. We can't keep her distracted long. I'll buy some time by getting us food, but you need to hurry up." Janna explained. "Gotcha, but here's the thing..." Marco slowly began. "Oh my god." Janna impatiently mumbled to herself. "Don't stress, just get the food and head back to Jackie's." Marco explained. "What-Why?!" Janna furrowed her eyebrows, taken aback. "Just do it!" Marco demanded. there was a prolonged silence before they continued speaking."Thank you." They spoke softly, both in unison. "You know, Star is really going to appreciate this." Janna's raspy voice gently stated, almost too quiet to hear. He could tell she was smiling, though. He could tell Janna had looked to see how Star was doing. "I know... I really couldn't have done this without you both, though." Marco replied, a thankful grin fading to his lips. "Oh don't get too modest; It was all your idea." Janna chuckled, Marco chuckling along. "Right." Marco mumbled, pulling the phone away from his ear- Hanging up. "Plan B is a go." He stated to himself, before taking a deep breath and heading off.

"Thanks again for the food, Janna." Star beamed to the girl in the green beanie. Janna waved her hand in the air. "Psh, don't worry about it." Janna winked. Jackie's eyes caught Janna's, as they both smiled at each other. "I thought-" Jackie quietly began to whisper to her. "You'll see." Janna grinned, as all of them walked back to Jackie's house. Jackie brushed back her platinum blonde hair, smiling kindly. Nodding, Jackie turned back to Star- sparking conversation once again.

(This is an awkward psa in the middle of the story, but somehow the transition was deleted?? Just... Pretend this explains how all three of them reached Jackie's, Marco pops out and surprises them, Jackie and Janna both decide that Marco can take it from there, so they go home to go to sleep, while Marco takes Star out for the last activity thinG.)

Climbing over a wooden fence, Marco peered to Star with a chuckle. "Give me a moment." He mumbled, foot just a little above a pollen-covered Christmas light. Star bit her lip, slowly realizing he brought her to the lake she'd disappeared to back in October- the year before. "Why here?" She inquired, brushing back the black strands of her hair that smacked against her pale, chapped lips. Marco didn't respond. Instead, he smiled a cheeky grin to her and took her hand. She peered at him, raising an eyebrow. "I'll help you." He offered, Star shaking her head with a quiet laugh. The crease of her eyes wrinkled as she smiled. "Careful." He warned as he tightened his grip on Star's hand. "I've got it." Star informed, jumping off the wooden fence and landing on the dirt with a muffled bang. As Marco loosened his grip, Star squeezed his hand to let him know it was alright. He fixated his eyes on Star, leading her toward the lake every step. "What is it anyway?" Star asked, chuckling. "You'll see! Just wait a moment." He replied, biting his peachy lips with laughter and amusement. As colorful lights faded into visual, Star gasped. "Oh my gosh." She gasped. "Marco..." She whispered, eyes locked on the lake. "It's so..." Star breathed, as she faded out. Marco let go of her hand and watched as she pulled them both over her mouth- Gawking in awe. Star's crystal eyes scanned the lake, as well as the lanterns surrounding its edge. The water rippled gracefully, the moonlight's reflection dancing upon the surface. The sky was clear, and for once, there was a full moon. Star let a soft smile stretch across her face. "What is this even for?" Star turned to Marco, hands over her mouth in awe. "Who." Marco corrected. Star tilted her head, peering back at the breathtaking scene. "It's for you." Marco stated, his voice soft and kind. Star felt her eyes grow hot with warm tears, another empty feeling within the pit of her stomach. It was something bittersweet. Nostalgia. "But why, though? What did I do to deserve all of this?" She asked softly, her voice quiet- Clearly, so she could hide the fact she was choking back a dam of tears. Her crystal eyes flicked quickly back to Marco's caramel brown eyes, both locking on each other. "Ever since you came in August, I've made friends. I've learned things, I've experienced things. Ever since we met, you've taught me so many things I never knew. You've been through so much, only to end up at such a boring place like Earth." Marco began, frowning. "You didn't deserve the bad things that have happened to you, and I'm sorry that you not only have home to worry about- But you have a life here that you worry about as well." He spoke, his eyes shifting away from hers- Breaking the eye contact. He walked over to a spot on the side of the lake and sat down. Star followed, sitting down beside him silently. "I guess when I noticed something was bringing you down, I guess-" He cut himself off hesitantly. "I guess I wanted to make you feel better. There's not a lot on Earth that's ever half as cool as the things you've done and the places you've been, but I wanted to show you that even on this sorry excuse of a planet, there can still be beautiful things." He finished his long speech, eyes glued on the water. Star watched as the sparkle in his eyes glimmered, even while they sat in silence. She laid down on the grass, back pressed against the cold dirt surface- facing the stars. "This may not be as cool as half the places I've been- but it surely ranks as one of the tops on my list of good moments in my life." She mumbled to him, his eyes finally shifting back to look at her. The girl lay on her back, watching the stars in the sky twinkle. But Marco watched the best star he could've ever found. He watched the star laying right beside him. He watched the stars in her crystal blue eyes, as they twinkled and shimmered in ways better than a real star ever could. "So you planned it all, huh? Jackie takes me shopping, Janna takes us to the movies, and you take me stargazing." Star asked tiredly, eyes still locked on the night sky. "Well actually, Janna and Jackie were supposed to come stargazing with us... But uh... I'm kind of glad they didn't. They're not going to let me live this down, so I hope you're enjoying it." Marco chuckled gently. Star laughed along, shaking her head and shutting her eyes. Attention shifting to the boy beside her, they both sat silently beside each other for a few minutes; Just staring at each other. "Thank you for taking me stargazing." She whispered, closing her eyes, tiredly. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes. "Thank you for letting me be able to stargaze." His mind whispered, a genuine smile plastering across his face. "We should go home, you seem tired." Marco chuckled. Star- Eyes still closed- Mumbled a response. "No, let's stay a little longer, please."

"Okay, Stargirl."  
"Thanks, Safe Kid."


	5. Changes

"Good morning, Marco!" A voice yelled through a large window. Marco peered out the window, eyebrow raised. "Good morning to you too, Jackie." He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus his sight on the girl two stories below. "C'mon, crew's going to breakfast!" She shouted, one foot kicking her turquoise penny board, while the other stood planted on the concrete. "There's such a thing called a phone! We're kids of Generation Z, after all." Marco shouted back. "Too bad. Meet us at the coffee shop!" Jackie laughed in reply, before zooming off on her penny board. "Wh-" Marco began. Before he could finish what he was saying, he was interrupted by the hum of his phone's vibrating. "What the?" He turned around. It was Jackie. Before he could even think, he grabbed his phone quickly. Running downstairs and grabbing his red hoodie, he slipped it on- Phone pressed between his shoulder and his ear. "You were just here, wha-?" Marco began, before cutting himself short at the sound of a familiar voice. "Good morning, Marco." He heard past the phone grain. He froze, unable to speak for a moment. "Is this Star?" He raised an eyebrow, finally lifting his head from his shoulder, using his left hand to grab the phone under his ear- Bringing it to his other ear. "Yeah, I took Jackie's phone to ask if you were coming." She sounded drained, almost exhausted. "Yeah. No- Yeah, why?" He stammered, zipping up his jacket with a struggle. "Oh-! Nothing, just curious." She spoke, a raspy tint hidden in her voice somewhere. He couldn't quite pin down if it were anger or fatigue. "Is everything alright?" He asked, opening his front door and stepping outside. He paused, waiting for her to reply so he could inform his parents of his whereabouts. There was a short-lived silence across the line before Marco covered the phone mic and yelled to his parents. "I'll be out with some friends, I'll be back later." Star hung up, almost instantly after Marco had uncovered the mic. "Star?" He raised the phone to his ear. Tapping the screen, he sighed- Realizing she'd hung up. There was something wrong, and there was a possibility that it was he was the one to blame.

Stepping up to the coffee shop he'd been at the day before, he caught sight of the girls. "Hey." He jogged up to them, brushing a little bit of sweat off of his glazed tan face. "Hi, Marco." Jackie smiled to him kindly. "'Ello." Janna nodded, a smirk plastered on her face. "Why'd you want to meet here?" Marco furrowed his eyebrows. Jackie shrugged. "Just a place where we all could chat and not have to worry about running into other people we know about." She explained, giving a one-shoulder-shrug. "Right." He nodded, peering around the inside of the cafe. "So I'm hoping yesterday was fun." Marco forced a half-smile, locking his fingers together. "If I'm being honest, it actually was." Janna dove into the conversation. "Thanks, but you should've come along at the end. I walked through the Devil's gate to get there." Marco chuckled awkwardly. His eyes quickly flashed to Star, her black hair covering her face. "Star, did you have fun?" He asked in hopes of getting her to join the conversation. "Huh?" Star's head jerked back, her blue eyes staring at Marco. "Did you have fun?" Jackie smiled to Star sympathetically. "Oh. Um... Yes." Star responded, eyes shifting around uncomfortably. "What's the matter?" Marco frowned at the scene. "If you don't mind..." Star mumbled, hiding her face behind her hair. She stood up from the table, walking away and out of the cafe. "What's her deal?" Marco furrowed his eyebrows to Jackie and Janna, worriedly. He raised his thumb, pointing it over his shoulder and at Star as she walked out of the coffee shop. "She's been like this since she woke up, I don't know either." Jackie quickly responded. "I thought we cheered her up." Janna sighed, brushing back strands of her hair and tucking it behind her tan ear. "Me too." Jackie and Marco replied in unison. They all stared at each other worriedly, before Jackie spoke up once more. "Well, we can't expect her to be perfectly fine after just one day. Maybe it's something really important that's bugging her. If we can't do anything about it, all we can do now is just to be there for her like good friends would. Right?" Jackie tilted her head to the both of them. Marco nodded, as well as Janna. "What could possibly be bothering her so much, though?" Janna asked in concern. Marco bit his lip, peering out the windows in thought. "I'm gonna go talk to her, okay?" Janna stood up from the table, pushing out her black metal seat. Marco peered to Jackie with a wary expression. "Okay." He stated, Jackie nodding. As Janna walked out of the cafe, she pushed open the glass door- Silverbell ringing as usual. She shut the door carefully, before walking to the side of the building where the employee parking was. "Star?" Janna raised an eyebrow to find Star sitting on the curb- Hands ran through her hair and holding her head. "Is everything alright? If there's something wrong please let me know. I don't mean to make you feel pressured, it's just- We're all worried about you. What's been going on in your mind lately?" Janna walked over slowly. As she made her way up behind her, Star sighed- Dropping her hands from her head and clasping them together. She sat up straight, Janna sitting down carefully beside her. They didn't look at each other for a while, nor speak. "To be honest with you, Janna..." Star muttered under her breath. "I don't really want to talk about it." Star admitted softly. Janna peered to her, the black hair in Star's face preventing eye contact. "Star." Janna spoke, brushing back Star's hair and tucking it behind her ears. "It's okay, I promise. But don't isolate yourself like you did a long time ago. We're here for you, I assure you." Janna explained. Star's face was pale. Paperwhite pale. She seemed skinny and fragile, almost as if she even fell once, she'd break into a million glass shards. She flinched as Janna grabbed her hand. "C'mon, let's go back to the table." She smiled to Star. Star felt a wave of heat crash over her face, turning a cute rose color at the nose and cheeks. "Thanks." Star looked down to her feet as they stood up to walk back. Janna just smiled, then led her back inside to the two at the table who sat mumbling things to each other. Marco peered up at Star, noticing her hair was pushed back and was seeming a little more peachy in color. He smiled at the small difference, before standing up. "Let's just go do something simple. Nothing over the top, let's just be teenagers today. Alright?" Marco looked to the others. Jackie was the only one still sitting, as Star and Janna were right in front of Marco. They all chuckled in agreement. "Yeah, that'd be a good idea." Jackie joined in, standing up with the others.  
"What about sneaking into an abandoned school is exactly teenager-y?" Star raised an eyebrow as they marched their way past dead bushes and tall menacing trees in the forest. "Teens like to be daredevils, give it a chance." Janna smirked to Star, nudging her and trying to cheer her up- All while assuring her it'd be alright. Star nodded, quietly letting out an "okay." As the four made their way up to a dirt path, Jackie shuddered, grabbing Marco's sleeve. "Don't worry, it's the path that's supposed to lead us to the school." Janna forced a smile, hoping to comfort the others. Marco nodded, trying to help Janna in comforting the two others. "Yeah, we'll be there soon, it'll be cool. I know you guys like that kind of stuff." He added. Jackie and Star quickly peered to each other, then back to the person beside them. Star sighed, taking Janna's hand. "Okay, but we're not splitting up or anything." Star demanded. Janna chuckled, placing her other hand over her and Star's clasped hands. "It's okay, we won't." She promised. Star forced an awkward smile, as did Janna in return. "C'mon, before it's dark!" Janna snapped back into focus, smiling again. As she led the way, the gang followed. Unknowing about the journey that was only just about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for the fairly short chapter, I'll be taking down the "fake" chapter five so you all don't have to worry about getting confused. All it was is just an update explaining why I haven't posted any new chapters lately. Anyway, without any further postponing, here's the long awaited Chapter 5! I really want to throw out a quick thank you to all the fans that have been patient over these past weeks! I'm trying to get my work out fast so you all can enjoy it, but I've been busy a lot lately- And in two weeks I'll be starting my major state testing so I don't think I'll have much time to write ): But on the bright side, that gives me time to listen to music more often while I relax and brainstorm new ideas! Also, if there are any Janstar shippers out there, I'd like to let you know about a lil proj I've een contemplating on starting (; There's not a lot of good janstar fics, so uh.. Prep yourselfs for a wild ride, kiddos!


	6. Resurfacing; The Beginning.

Making their way up a muddy path in the back woods, Janna lead the gang up to a small little building surrounded by shrubs and trees. "Are we going in there?" Jackie raised an eyebrow to Janna, who was now beside her. Star stood to the left of Janna, peering to the building instead of to her peers. "Why else would we come here?" Janna smirked a sly grin. Jackie shook her head, laughing a little. "Right." She mumbled. As Jackie began to follow Janna into the building, Star slowly began to follow, before getting stopped by Marco. "Are you okay?" The boy with the brown hair tilted his head. Star mumbled a few words under her breath, before biting her lip and looking at him finally. "Yeah." She'd replied quietly. She didn't move, though. She didn't seem to want to, actually. Marco furrowed his eyebrows. "You say that all the time. I mean seriously. Did I do something? Is there something bothering you?" Marco's tone grew a little less soft, and instead more stern. Star flinched at the sudden tone switch. Janna and Jackie were already far ahead into the building, and hadn't seemed to notice Star and Marco far behind- Talking. "I just- It's complicated." Star muttered, beginning to walk forward. "Star, we're trying." Marco said loudly, hints of hurt in his voice. Star paused, thinking before she spoke. She turned around to face him again. "You're trying." She calmly replied. "What's your point?" "My point is, the only one who seems to even care is you, and that doesn't help." Star spewed quickly, almost angrily. "What do you mean that doesn't help?!" Marco's voice was stern and cold, and slammed like an avalanche toward Star's feelings. "T- No, that's not what I meant-" Star stammered helplessly, regretting her word-vomit. Marco crossed his arms, furrowing his eyebrows. "Marco- I just.." Star mumbled. "I- I didn't mean that." Her voice cracked endlessly, a dam of tears choking behind her last words. Marco's furious act slowly burned away, him lowering his guard and recognizing her hurt. He sighed and walked over to Star. "Star, we're friends, I promise. You can talk to me." He frowned apologetically. "I know, it's just- Not about this, I can't." She quietly uttered her words under her warm breath. "Why not?" Marco furrowed his eyebrows worriedly. "Guys, are you coming?" Jackie stepped out from the shrubs against a cobblestone wall, brushing back her platinum blonde hair. Star's eyes quickly shifted to her friend standing on a higher level land.  
"Y-" Star began. "Yeah. Give us a minute." Marco spoke up for Star, knowing she'd start crying at any given minute. "Oh. Okay, I'll tell Janna." Jackie's eyebrows raised understandingly, yet surprised. As she disappeared into the building again, Marco looked at Star. "I don't feel too good." Star stated loud and clear, eyes fixated on the dirt and grass beneath her feet. "What do you mean?" Marco quickly grew concerned, putting his hand on her shoulder that was closest to him. Almost as if to let her know that he was there in case anything happened. Star leaned forward, crouching to her feet. "Are you okay?" Marco bent down as well, words quickly spewing out. "No." Star grumbled, her head tucked at her stomach, as she grasped helplessly at her stomach in pain. "Guys, come on, we gotta go!" Marco stood up and yelled for the two. Unresponsive. "Whatever, I'll text them. We're getting you back home." He grunted to himself, helping Star stand up. She hung one arm over his back, him assisting her in walking. "Marco, really, you don't-" She began. "Stop saying that, I'm going to anyway." Marco interrupted as they pushed past bushes and plants. Star bit her bottom lip, eyes swelling. Not because of pain- But because of something else. Crystal eyes welled with tears, choking back a sob with empty cries.

"I'll let you know how school was and if you missed anything, once I get back, okay?" A feminine voice asked softly. Star blinked her droopy eyes, heavy bags under her empty ocean eyes. "Right. Have fun, Jackie." Star mumbled, forcing a weak smile to her friend. The platinum-blonde nodded, smiling right back to her. It was a sincere smile, but it never seemed to get across to Star whether or not it was genuine. Star sank under the sheets, the sunny California sky seeping into her room past her windows. "Euck." Star grunted, thrashing the covers off. She lay still on top of the bed mattress, feet now being the only part of her covered by her sheets. There was a gentle knock on the window, Star sitting up tiredly. "What the he-" Star was interrupted by the sight of her auburn friend sitting at the window. Her eyes widened with concern, a panic coursing through her veins. She threw herself off her bed, racing toward the window. Slinging the glass window open, Marco climbed through. "Why the f-" She began, only to be cut off by him once more. "Pipe down, Comet." His voice was nasally and hoarse. Star raised an eyebrow at his sudden sarcasm, almost a little offended at his behavior. "Marco, why are you even here?" Star whispered, furrowing her eyebrows angrily. Marco quickly glanced out the window, then back to Star's pale face. She crossed her arms. "Nice pajamas, Asteroid." He remarked, eyes scanning her. "Wh- HEY!" Star smacked his arm, leaving a genuine reaction to jolt to his face. He furrowed his eyebrows together, wincing and sharply inhaling. "Thanks." He glanced at her with an unamused expression. "Why are you here?" Star repeated herself, tone much harsher than before. "You're not coming to school." He stated, blank expression. Star scrunched up her nose, facepalming. "So what?" She asked. "I won't, either, then." He stated. "Wh- You're an honors kid who gets straight A's. You've never missed a day in your life, aren't your parents going to be furious with you when they find out?" "Nah, the teachers find it to be a habit marking me down as attending. Plus, Janna' s got my back anyway." He explained. Star shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Why?" She inquired. "You ask too many questions, Meteorite." He stated, grabbing her hand. "What are you doing?!" Star spoke louder this time, Marco turning to face the window again. "Again with the questions." He shook his head. "No, let me ask questions." She yanked him back from the window, slamming it shut and locking it. Her voice was quiet, yet still demanding. "Okay, fine." He sat down on the window sill, Star staring at him in utter disbelief. "Four. Go." He said. She rolled her eyes, sighing at his behavior. "Why are you acting like... Like... Like an angsty run-away rebellious teenager?" She spewed out, crossing her arms once again. Marco raised an eyebrow. "I'm in a rush, we don't have much time. Hurry up." Marco rambled, fidgeting as he sat. "Fine. What the heck is up with you climbing through my window?" She inquired in an annoyed manner. "If I ring the doorbell the Thomas' would've told me you're out sick. I already know that. Plus a bunch of other things. Window means sneaking out without getting caught and interrogated." Marco explained eagerly. At this point, he'd stood up. Star took note how much taller he was than her. Maybe a couple of inches. "Wh-? Nevermind." She sighed. "Um. Why are we in a rush, exactly?" "Fffhhh..." Marco let out a long sighed, eyes wandering around as if he'd find his answer somewhere in the room. "It'll be too busy outside if we don't get there on time. Busy means more people. More people means more of a chance of getting caught." He put a hand on her shoulder, making her flinch. She didn't seem to be phased by it, although, as physical contact seemed to be a normal thing between them, lately. "Oh...?" Star raised an eyebrow, pushing back her hair as she tried to make sense of everything he'd explained to her. Marco examined her face as she stood confused and lost. As her hair grew longer, the black faded into her light blonde, but Star didn't really seem to notice. She didn't seem to care, either. Marco snapped back to focus, and looked out the window once more. "C'mon, get changed, we're going on a trip." He said, unlocking the window and opening it up. Star cocked her head, suddenly realizing Marco wasn't wearing his usual outfit. "And don't wear black, please." Marco quickly peered up at Star as he stood halfway inside her room and halfway out the window and onto the Thomas' roof. "Wh-" Star froze, lost, as the sight of Marco in a denim jacket dazed her completely. "Right. Sure." She didn't bother to argue back. She closed her window, locking it and shutting her curtains. "Right." She mumbled to herself, sifting through her drawers for a nice white blouse and a yellow overall dress.  
Popping out the window, she carefully made her way to a spot Marco sat at. Under the branch of a very large tree hanging over the roof. It made for shade, all the while giving a good view to the neighborhood- But no one could see them back. "Are you suddenly someone else?" Marco peered beside him, to the girl who wore a messy bun and a cute dressy outfit. "I'm suddenly about to break both my ankles, if that helps you answer your question." She responded, handing him a sarcastic look. He raised an eyebrow, amused at her response. "I see you're the same, then." He chuckled. "Where are we going?" Star asked, as Marco helped her climb down the tree. "A nice place." Marco smiled as Star landed on the ground, turning around to face him. He held her waist as she climbed down, finally letting go as she planted her ankle boots into the grass. His eyes quickly lit up with the kind of sparkle Star had only seen once before. A lost memory that was faded in the back of her mind. Hope. She too, soon realized she'd begun to dawn a smile at the boy who grabbed her hand as they raced down the road.


	7. Damnum Autem Constat Baisley

A long long time ago, in a far away dimension, lived a legend. The legend of the enforcer of the cemetery. This enforcer was a ghost seeking to preserve the lives of innocent people, good-hearted, and well-intentioned people. This legend soon was claimed as a myth, and the dimension where this legend resided, was an old and desolate kingdom. A bleak silence reigned upon the land. The land where the legend's ghost- Baisley- ruled. Many who dared to venture there to prove the myth false, never seemed to resurface. Those who did, never managed to sustain sanity. Baisley didn't care whether beings believed their existence and legend was myth or fact, but they did care if people were to expose them and the truth. But why? Why was it so important?

Liars.

The people who found out would not only change themselves for selfish reasons, but they'd be lying to the people around them. Portraying themselves as someone they aren't. Two-faced liars, Baisley believed them to be. And Baisley never liked liars, thus they would not let them roam their land- In death, nor life.

"You still seem like you're in a rush." Star furrowed her eyebrows as they slowed their pace- Making their way up to a familiar scene. "I am." Marco replied, turning to her with a smile. "Oh really?" Star raised her eyebrow, then switched her attention to the place he'd brought her to. "We go here every other day, what's the big deal?" Star raised her eyebrow at the sight of the cafe-coffee-shop. "It's not very crowded yet since parents are already at work and students are at school." Marco explained, taking Star's hand and opening the door. Star followed, eyes carefully watching Marco as he led her to a table in the corner of the cafe. She sat down, as he moved to the other side of the table. "Why did you bring me here?" Star asked, tilting her head as it rested on the palm of her hand. Her left hand tapped the table curiously, fingers drumming against the white top. "I wanted to talk. About the... thing." He explained. "Oh? What thing?" Star asked, furrowing her eyebrows and lifting her head. As she leaned back in her chair a little, she grew more serious and focused on the conversation at hand. "Are you still homesick?" Marco frowned, jumping straight to the topic. "Huh?" Star squinted, thinking she'd misheard him. "You're so off lately... Is there something going on that you can't tell us? You know you can talk to me, especially if it's about home." Marco assured, resting a hand atop her left hand- Pausing her tapping. Star paused, debating whether or not she should tell him. As she bit her peachy lip, her crystal eyes wandered to the cafe windows. "Kind of..." Star mumbled, admitting quietly to her brunette friend. "Star, I'm more than willing to help you through a hard time. You still have Maria's number, right?" Marco's golden chocolate eyes scanned Star's expression as she turned back to him. Star peered down to their hands- now clasped together. "Yeah." She quietly replied, then shifted her attention back to Marco's face. "What's been going on lately?" Marco furrowed his eyebrows, worriedly. "Marco, I know I can talk to you. Don't think I'm not telling you just because I don't want to or because I feel like you won't believe me or like I can't confide in you. There's so much going on in the past year since I came, and I know things were rough at first, but ever since then I've gotten to know you and I've come to the conclusion that there's just some things I shouldn't tell you. Not because I don't want to, but because it's for your safety." Star sighed, shaking her head. Marco frowned, tilting his head as he watched Star turn back to the window. "Star, I know you want us to be safe, but I want you to be safe too." Marco stated, a serious- yet concerned- tone in his voice. "Yeah- I know that, Marco. I already know that." Star began, an irritated sigh as she squeezed Marco's hand. "Marco, you can convince anyone that you love them. You've truly convinced me, Marco. You really have. But your concern isn't going to prevent me from doing what I have to do. It's not a choice- what I have to do. It's not something I look forward to, either. I never asked for any of this to happen to me, Marco." Star explained, her eyes flushing red and watery. "Star, please don't cry. Please, Star. I'm not letting you get hurt because you 'have to do' this thing- Whatever it is. I'm helping you, and there are no if, ands, or buts. Let me help you, Star." Marco pleaded, nonchalantly bypassing everything she'd just said. Star wiped away a silent tear with her wrist, then looked at Marco again. "Marco." "What?" "Marco, you're an idiot." She chuckled softly past her salty tears, shaking her head. She sniffled, Marco squeezing her hand with a reassuring- yet a soft and gentle- smile.

"And you think that this myth is real?" Marco raised an eyebrow, sipping a warm coffee. "It's not myth, it's a legend. No one knows if it's real or not." Star explained. "So like... Do you think it is?" Marco asked. "Well- I mean... Yeah, I'd hope. If it means bringing my kingdom and my parents back, I'm willing to believe almost anything at this point." She sighed, shrugging. She stirred a chamomile tea with a small silver spoon- Then laid it down beside the cup, atop a neatly folded napkin. "Hah." Marco chuckled lightly, before bringing up another topic. "So what about this legend?" He began, tilting his head and crossing his arms. "Well, I'm thinking that if what people are saying, that the legend is true. If it is, it's possible I could bring my parents back to life. Though the tree of life may be able to do that by its own self, it'll drain too much power from both me and anything connected to my home. I'll let it restore Mewni, but not my parents. Not unless I have to. I'll have to see if the process of restoration can be sped up. If it's not possible, then it's beyond me if whether or not I'll even be alive to see my home restored." Star explained to Marco, swinging her free hand around as she lifted the mug to her mouth. "Yeesh." He furrowed his eyebrows, sharply inhaling. Star sipped her tea, and sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's more than just stressful, and no one else really understands the pressure and stress I've been going through since this all began." She stated. "I wish I could help." Marco sighed, a small tinge of apologetic-ness in his voice. "It's not your fault, Marco." Star shook her head. "I know." He replied awkwardly. "I mean, you can... In a way... Help." Star longed her words, hoping he wouldn't seek interest in the offer- Though, she knew he'd take up on it anyway. "Accepted. I don't care what it is, I'm willing to help. Even if it's a small thing." His eyes sparked, almost like when one catches a dog's attention. He smiled to Star, sitting across the table from her. Star sighed, knowing she'd regret it. "I'm uh... I don't want to go alone. I know it's stupid, I'm just- Kind of scared. I don't want to do this alone."She admitted softly, scrunching her nose and lips. "It's okay. I understand that it's scary, and I don't blame you for wanting to not be alone. And you shouldn't be alone. Not in a time like this, no. I'm always here, I promise." Marco's gleam softened into a gentle assuring smile. "Thanks..." Star returned the gesture awkwardly. "Well. Where do we start?" Marco stood up, peering to Star with a determined expression. An expression always to admire.

But little did they know,  
they'd already begun.


	8. Route Around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Rebelution - Route Around  
> ( https://youtu.be/bcVDmkCMMNg )

Things were not only seemingly looking worse than ever for Star Butterfly, but at the same time, things were progressively getting worse. Worse down under. Under the surface is always a much different story than what's on the outside. And that was the truth for Star Butterfly. That was always the truth. Not only had her family burned, but so had all her straight thoughts. It was as if Star had lost all regular sense, and her rationality and sensibility had been burned alongside her home. Feelings for Marco only swelled and flourished over the next passing weeks, but it almost seemed to others as if they were never existent in the first place. And who was there to make everything seem better? Was it possibly Jackie? Janna? Maria? Who else was possibly there for her? At the time being, it seemed to Star that she was all alone. Although that may not have been the case, that's exactly how she felt in the end. Nevertheless, time goes on- Things progress whether you want them to or not. So what was left for Star? A meaningless piece of rock floating in the depths of space? The very same piece of land she stood on, known as Earth. Did it really matter to her though? All that seemed to stick in her mind- Day and night- was the swelling bruise that was all the problems that had begun since she was sent off to Earth. And why didn't anyone understand? Why couldn't anyone understand? Why, out of the so many people who seemed to care about her, did she feel so alone? And the answers to those questions were never more burning in her mind than when March came.

The rest of that day, Star and Marco sat on the roof of the Thomas' house- Talking the whole day. And it felt as if it all were a hazy dream. An untouchable moment in the back of Star's mind. Not because she hadn't been grateful for his presence- As he was the only one who genuinely let her remember that she was living. He was the only one who reminded her what living was like. Her mind had been cast under a hurricane of negative thoughts- Including genuine contemplation of being able to see her family and home ever again. Would she ever be alive to see those wonderful things again? "Star are you listening?" Marco's voice pierced her thoughts intrudingly. "Huh?" Star shook her head, snapping back to reality. "I'm excited for summer to start soon." He repeated himself, smiling happily. "Oh, right! I forgot about that. Huh. Freshmen, eh? We're old." Star joked, casually laughing a little. "Har har. I can't believe how fast the months go by, it feels like just yesterday we were doing that whole 'i-hate-you' attitude thing." Marco chuckled. Star softly smiled, a warmth growing up to her cheeks as she remembered the time. "That was rough." Star admitted. "Sorry I called you Tom." Star apologized, tilting her head and peering beside her to Marco. He furrowed his eyebrows before relaxing and returning a gentle gleam. "I always knew you never meant it, it's okay." He replied. Star took a breathy and awkward laugh. "Are you feeling any better from yesterday?" Marco asked, tilting his head. "Um. Actually, not really. I still feel really sick to my stomach. I don't know why, but I'm supposed to be going to a doctor's appointment soon." She explained, scrunching her mouth up a little, as well as her nose. "Haha. I hope you feel better, Star." He smiled to her. She nodded, smiling. "I should probably head back home." Marco broke the stare, and crawled to the tree. As the sun began to set, Star waved goodbye to him- As he climbed down. "Bye, Marco." She waved. "Cya tomorrow, Star!" He shouted, running back home.

"Feeling any better?" Mrs. Thomas sat at the foot of Star's bed. Star sat up, back pressed against the headboard. "Yeah, a little. The soup you made for me was really helpful. Thank you." Star thanked her kindly, smiling gently back at her. "Oh, of course, honey! I'll let you get some rest, you definitely need it." She laughed, standing up and leaving the room- Closing the door. Star slumped low in her bed sheets, peering at old conversations with the long anonymous number. Jackie knocked on the door quietly, pushing it open. Star peered up and smiled gently. "Hey, Jackie." She smiled, Jackie sitting down carefully at the foot of her bed. "Hey, Star. How are you feeling?" She asked, tilting her head. "Alright-ish. Your mom makes really good soup." Star chuckled. Jackie laughed along, nodding. "Yeah, she does." Jackie agreed. "So, I've been meaning to talk to you, Star." Jackie's tone grew from relaxed, to a more tense and serious tone. "Oh..?" Star raised an eyebrow, brushing back her hair behind her ears. "Star, has everything been okay? I don't want you to feel overwhelmed or anything." Jackie asked, furrowing her eyebrows worriedly. "Jackie, you're my best friend. I don't know if I'd be where I am today, without you. You know that... Right?" Star inquired, frowning nervously. "Of course I do, and you're my best friend too." Jackie replied, smiling gently in return. "Jackie, there are just some things better off unsaid, and I think my problem being one of those things." Star explained, eyes shifting to the palm of her hands that lay open and unshielded on her lap. "Star, I know how hard it must be for you lately. If it's anything serious, I want you to come talk to me. I mean it." She frowned. "I don't want anything to happen to you, and you know that." She continued on, standing up. "Jackie..." Star mumbled, frowning. "I- I really don't know how to tell it all to you." She bit her lip, peering up to her friend. "I'm willing to listen to everything understandingly, but only if you're willing to trust me." Jackie explained. Star nodded, quietly mumbling "right," under her breath. "Maybe I'll tell you soon." Star forced a smile, tilting her head. Jackie nodded understandingly, before leaving the room. Shutting the door, Star sighed, and took a moment to think. "I'll tell her. Tomorrow. I will." She promised herself, before picking up her phone and growing the courage to text the anonymous number.

"I find it that we haven't spoken for weeks, Mud. Do you still .."  
Star paused, unable to finish her message. She sent it anyway, sighing. Almost immediately, the message was read.  
"We spoke this week, goof." Is all they said in reply. Star scrunched her nose, beginning to type.  
"I'm surprised. I wish I knew who you were. I wouldn't stop talking to you, I can assure you of that. It's not like I have anyone else to talk to, anyway." Star admitted.  
"I wish you knew too, but it doesn't really matter that much. At least, to me it doesn't." "But that's to you. What about me? Does it matter that it matters to me?" Star replied. "Of course it does. Of course. But I don't see why." Mud responded, making Star scoff a little. "Maybe I'd actually be closer to whoever it is, rather than feel distant from everyone in my life. Maybe that's why it matters to me. Maybe it matters because for once I felt like I had someone to talk to, and when I want to know who it is, they don't want me to know. Do you just not want to be close? Is it easier to talk to me past a screen?" Star felt slightly hurt as she typed out her words, taking a quiet breath before sending her message. There was no reply for almost five minutes. "Maybe I'm scared." She read, the message flashing on her phone screen. "Why would you be scared?" She asked worriedly, softening her hurt expression. "Maybe I'm scared because I know that somewhere inside of me, I have feelings for you." Star froze. "This has gotta be Marco. There is no way it's anyone else. I don't even know anyone else." Star replied quickly. And with that, she got a call. Star froze in shock, before picking up the phone. "H-Hello?" Star's voice echoed over the line, before a familiar voice. "Star, you need to tell everyone the truth. We can't fix Mewni alone." A tired voice sounded past the line. "Marco?" Star raised an eyebrow, sitting up in her bed as if she was a dog with perked ears. "Good night, Star." The words sounded in her ears before the other line hung up. Star sat in utter disbelief, setting her phone to the side. "Oh." She mumbled, laying down in her bed. "Oh my god." She mumbled, wrapping the blankets tight around her. 

"Jackie we need to talk." Star kicked open Jackie's door, her quickly locking eyes with Star from across the room. "Oh, yeah. Sure. Come on in, Star." She invited her in, as Star shut the door and walked over to Jackie's bed. Plopping down, Jackie continued rummaging through her closet. "What is it?" Jackie asked, Star watching her from her bed. "Jackie. I don't know how to tell you any of this, so I don't even know where to start." Star began, catching Jackie's attention. Jackie turned around, a jacket in her arms. Setting the jacket down on a seat near her, Jackie turned back to look at Star. "Continue." She stated. "I guess it started when I came here. Why I came here." Star admitted.  
"So, you're telling me in order to go back home, you need to bring it back with magic, first?" Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Um. Kind of. Yeah... I know- I know, I sound delusional and insane, but I promise-" Star stammered quickly, trying to find her words. "Star, it's okay. I believe you. We're close enough that I trust you're telling me the truth. If there's any way I can help, count me in." And so Jackie knew. Jackie knew everything from "Battle and war," to plan Baisley. Maybe it was the thought of having people finally believe her and want to help, or maybe it was knowing that she had friends who she knew she could trust, but it was right then when she realized she was finally starting to begin her journey. And a journey it was.


	9. A Kingdom On It's Own

It was March 4th the day Star, herself, walked her way to Marco Diaz's house. A Saturday morning, where the sun came peeking over the horizon line, shyly. Star had brought herself to her feet the next day, finding that she needed to speak to Marco. She knocked on the door, loudly. "Diaz." She shouted as she slammed her fist against the door, her locks of messy black and blonde hair shoveling over her shoulders. There seemed to be a looming eerie silence for around two minutes. Star reached to ring the doorbell, before the door immediately swung open. "Oh!" She jumped in surprise. "S-Sorry." He stammered, running his tan fingers through his messy dark chocolate hair. "It's like... Nine in the morning. On a Saturday. What are you doing here?" He asked, rubbing his weary eyes. "Marco, can we talk? This is important." She stated. Marco hesitated a moment, before peering back inside the house to make sure no one was around. He looked back to Star, and nodded. "Sure. Come on inside." He motioned for her to walk in, holding the door open for her as she took a step inside. Marco closing the door, Star walked to the couch and plopped down. She let out a sigh as he walked over and sat down beside her. "What's up?" He asked, raising a tired eyebrow. "I told Jackie." Star came out calmly. "What's this?" He furrowed his eyebrows, not sure if he'd heard her correctly. "I told Jackie everything. From the studying in the library, to everything I've told Maria." Star explained. "So like... What did she say? Was she understanding?" Marco sat up, a worried expression plastered on his face. "Actually," Star began. "Yeah. I didn't know where to start, but somehow I managed to tell her everything she needed to know." Star awkwardly laughed. "Tha- That's great, Star! I'm really glad for you." He smiled kindly. Star nodded, the gentle smile fading from lips slowly. "Is that...?" He frowned, fading out from his words. "No, that's not all I needed to talk to you about. Marco, there's so much we need to discuss. Unfortunately, I'm kind of on a schedule at this point." Star sighed, looking out the window. "A schedule?" Marco tilted his head, Star turning back to face him. "Yeah, Marco. If you forgot, I kinda have a kingdom to bring back. Just because we're still in school and everything seems okay and less chaotic, doesn't mean I'm giving up. At least, not yet." Star furrowed her eyebrows, growing serious. "Right, right." Marco nodded. "So, um... What exactly is your plan?" Marco inquired, Star standing up. "Remember the other day at the coffee shop when we were talking about that Baisley ghost?" Star raised an eyebrow, picking up a Bobby pin from the coffee table in front of them. "You're not actually doing that, are you?" Marco stood up, protesting against the idea. "What better idea do you have, Marco? These are my parents we're talking about. The wand and the tree will take care of Mewni, but I don't want it to drain all the power out of either of my wand or the tree. Reviving living people is a difficult thing to do, but if I'm able to convince Baisley to revive my parents, my mother might be able to to help me revive Mewni as well as the tree and the wand." She irritatedly explained. Marco shook his head, sighing. "Star, even you know what happens to the people who try to... Y'know... With Baisley." "What, find them? Baisley's little insanity trick is only a thing that happens to bad people, Marco. As the current queen of Mewni, I'll do whatever it takes to bring back my kingdom. Even if it places my sanity at risk." Star raised her eyebrows at him, angrily shoving the Bobby-pin in her hair, pushing it out of her face. Marco grew flustered, and turned away from Star. "Star, I'm not letting you do that. You have to find a better way to do this." Marco sighed, back facing Star. "Marco, you want to know something?" Star's tone was clearly irritated, but she appeared to express an emotion otherwise. She scrunched her eyebrows, awaiting a response. Marco spun around, tilting his head. "What? What do you want to tell me? That you'd put your life on the line for these people? I know that! But you need to make sure that the person who makes sure these people are protected, is safe, too. Otherwise, who would protect them? Definitely not you, because if you're willing to die or go insane to bring back your kingdom, you're not in the most suitable place to be fit as a ruler." Marco spat out, trying to get his point across to the stubborn Star standing only a few feet away. Star marched over to Marco furiously, grabbing him by the collar of his grey shirt. "I do what I MUST for MY kingdom. You have NO idea how stressful and testing my role is right now, especially when I'm going through so much more than just grief and anger. I have lost my mental health, my parents, my friends, my kingdom, and my ability to lead a normal life here. If you think I'm putting myself first before so many more other lives, you're wrong. You're horribly wrong. Yes, I understand what you mean. But I am not risking my kingdom over me, one simple person." Star harshly shouted, Marco watching her intently. Their eyes locked onto each other, as they stood there for a silent moment. She let go of his shirt, sighing and looking away. "Star, I understand what you mean, but these people need someone worthy enough to watch over and protect them, and who will that be if you're not suitable enough? Not only that, but what about your other friends?" Marco calmly explained, placing his hand on her shoulder. Star covered her face with her hands, her shoulder beginning to bounce vigorously. "Star-?" Marco raised an eyebrow. Star turned around, warm tears streaming down her pale face. "I know. I know, Marco. I don't know what else there is to do, though. There's nothing else we can even do, Marco. At least... Not that I know of." She mumbled past hot tears trickling onto her lips. Marco wrapped his arms around her, safely holding her in a warm hug. Star embraced Marco, unfolding her arms and tightly holding onto his torso. Crying into his chest, Star sniffled, wiping her tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout." She whispered quietly under her breath, still holding onto him. "I know, it's okay." He chuckled, playing with her knotty black and blonde hair. "If we can't find anything else, we'll resort to Baisley. Okay?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as she lifted from the hug. She awkwardly looked away, nodding. He smiled a gentle an assuring smile, Star peering at him once again. She scrunched her nose, before wiping her tears with the sleeve of her dark blue oversized jacket. "Marco, when everything is over, I want to talk. Like... Just us. As friends." She awkwardly stated, brushing her messy hair behind her ear, the Bobbypin falling out of her hair. Marco nodded, giving a honey-sweet smile in return. "Like, discussing what?" Marco raised an eyebrow. "Our, uh... Friendship." She chuckled awkwardly, before gathering herself together and heading toward the door. "I'll look for options." She sighed, peering over her shoulder back to Marco. The morning sun glowed a golden orange pink and yellow sunrise, as the cool winds brushed Star's hair in her face, gracefully. "Thank you." Marco smiled back kindly.

Star sat up from her bed, messy grown out hair puffing up in knots of tangled strings.  
"Is someone there?" She quietly whispered, rubbing her heavy eyes. Her crystal blue eyes scanned the scene of the room, carefully inspecting everything her eyes glazed over. There was a tapping on the window, the loud knocking filling up the sharp silence engulfing the room. Star brushed her sheets off of her, tip-toeing over to her window. Cracking it open, she peered out to find Jackie, Marco, and Janna gathered on the roof, all staring back at her with a smile. "Guys? What are you doing?! It's like three in the morning!" She whispered harshly, eyes widened in surprise. "We know." Marco grinned, taking Star's hand and pulling her out onto the roof with them.


	10. Plan B For Baisley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: amsislost - empty room  
> ( https://soundcloud.com/amsislost/empty-room-amsislost )

Can't feel a thing, my mind is racing.  
And I can't keep up to speed, can't feel a thing.  
This empty room is all I know,  
It's walls so deep, could talk and tell  
It's written in my skin.  
Don't come in, don't come in.

"Marco- What are you guys doing out on the roof at like... 3 in the morning?!" Star furrowed her eyebrows, shutting the window and sliding down to sit along with them. "We're here for you, Star." Janna explained, giving a gentle smile. "Me? Wait, why?" Star grew more and more confused, peering at her friends. "They told me about everything." Janna looked to Jackie and Marco, then back to Star. "Oh..." Star's voice quickly faded as she looked down to her feet. "Oh." She repeated. "Star, we wanted to talk." Jackie spoke up, breaking the awkward silence looming over the four of them. "We want to help, too." Janna stated, taking Star's hand from her lap. Star frowned, watching all of their determined expressions. "I can't convince you guys otherwise, so I guess you are helping." Star shrugged, crystal eyes dulling in the moonlight. "Why didn't you tell us sooner, Star?" Janna asked, frowning. "Whatever the reason," Marco interrupted quickly, peering to Star. "Now you know that no matter what it is, you can talk to us. We're here for you." Marco assured, passing a gentle smile. Star nodded. "Yeah." She couldn't help but smile softly. Not because of the gesture, but forcefully. "Why did you tell them now though? Aren't you all supposed to be asleep?" Star furrowed her eyebrows, rubbing her tired eyes. Marco shifted his eyes to the others, before looking back to Star. "I couldn't sleep." He explained. "Neither could we. We all were messaging each other in a group chat, and Marco said he had something bothering him, and to meet up here to talk about it. So naturally, we just kinda did." Janna continued, shrugging. "Did you seriously let me keep you up until three in the morning.." Star deadpanned, eyes shifting to Marco. "ahem. Ah. Uh. ANYWAY." He awkwardly coughed, evidently a poor attempt to change the conversation topic. "Okay. Thanks for the- uh. Concern? But you guys need sleep. Seriously, please- For me- go back home and sleep." Star frowned, eyes still locked on Marco. Peeling her sight away from him, she peered to Janna. "Please." Star repeated herself. "Okay, okay! Sleep good, alright?" Janna smiled kindly to Star, a gentle and sincere expression. "I promise I'll try." Star couldn't help but form a soft, genuine smile in return, even if it was the kind of smile adults give to someone of higher authority when their child is doing something incredibly stupid. Star felt utterly in half as she and Jackie climbed back in through the window, Star closing it once again as Jackie left the room. She locked the window. Just in case. And with that, climbed back into bed- Mind racing with concerns and questions. The room may have felt as bare as ever before, but her mind was incredibly opposite.

It was the next morning that left everyone in a state of shock, though.

Jackie gently knocked her index finger against Star's bedroom door curiously. "Star? Are you awake? We gotta catch the bus!" Jackie called. There was a long moment of silence before Jackie spoke up again. "Star?" She'd repeat herself. Without a moment of hesitation, Jackie quickly swung open the door. "Star!" Jackie grunted as she pushed the door open. As she scrambled to catch her balance, her eyes focused on the sight of Star's bare room. There was absolutely nothing there. No Star, no picture frames, no jackets strewn across the end of the bed, no nothing. "For God's sake, Star-" Jackie muttered to herself, almost angrily. Worriedly dialing her number, there was an immediate answer. "Jackie, listen to me." Star's voice was static-y and muffled. "Star where the heck are you?" Jackie asked, voice stern and concerned. "Listen to me!" Star shouted, but definitely not loudly. It was as if she has the phone pressed up right against her lips, trying to keep quiet. "I'm listening." Jackie sighed, trying her best to stay patient with her friend- who quite frankly always seemed to run away. "I can't go to school today. Or tomorrow. Or at all this week. Something came up, and I won't be back for a bit. I promise you I wasn't going to leave without mentioning something. Marco knows what's going on. I can't talk any longer or this won't work. If you want to help like you said you guys were going to, let me do this. I promise everything is alright. Tell your parents I took a trip." Star informed, words muffled and quick- But just enough to where Jackie could make out what Star was trying to tell her. "A trip to where?!" Jackie furrowed her eyebrows, her voice quiet. "A trip back home." Star mumbled. "Star-" Jackie began, but before she could finish what she was about to say, then line had been disconnected. "Why are you like this.." Jackie sighed, and shut the door, running downstairs to quickly grab breakfast and hopefully slip out before her parents could say good morning.

"Marco! Jackie!" A familiar voice called from down the hall as Marco exited his algebra class. He turned around, peering to see who it was. "Oh, hey! Janna! We were about to go looking for you." Jackie smiled as she turned around, her and Marco both still walking. Janna ran to catch up to them, slowing down as she caught up to pace. "No need, I heard." "You heard?" Marco raised an eyebrow. "Everyone's saying Star ran away again." Janna frowned to Jackie. "She didn't run away-" Jackie began, a croak in her voice- Almost as if she'd been trying to convince herself that she'd not disappeared. "She didn't, it's alright." Marco assured, Jackie and Janna nodding in sync to his left. As the three of them made their way out of school, they stopped by the nearby fro-yo place- Just to ease their minds. "So, Star said you know what's going on." Jackie raised an eyebrow at Marco, all three of them sitting on a bench in the park. "She'd be lying if she said I don't, yeah?" Marco raised an eyebrow in response, scooping another bite of frozen yogurt into his mouth. "mmh." Janna nodded, agreeing. "You seem to be the only one in control of that girl." Janna chuckled, shaking her head. "She's in control of herself. She knows what she's doing, I just happen to know also." Marco informed, shifting his eyes to Janna. "She's going to try and convince a spirit-reviver to revive her parents." Marco began explaining, sighing. "It's risky, and super dangerous-" he continued. "Then why are we letting her do this, exactly?" Janna asked, furrowing together her eyebrows as if someone had told her aliens landed and one of her her closest friends just so happened to go check them out. "We've arg- uh... Spoken about it a million times already," Marco explained, shaking his head. "But there's genuinely no other way to get her parents back. At least not that anyone seems to know of." "Why are her parents needed in the first place? I thought they... y'know...?" Jackie asked, concerned. "I just don't want to see her lose them again." Marco nodded in understandment. "That's another reason I told her not to go. But she needs them back if she wants to conserve some of the magical energy left in her wand and back home in Mewni. And in herself." Marco tried his best to explain to the girls, despite the fact he barely knew, himself. But nevertheless, he tried. Not just so they'd understand, but so they'd be able to know just enough to help in case of any emergencies. "That girl is resilient." Janna shook her head, finishing her last scoop of frozen yogurt. Jackie nodded, already finished and crossing her arms. "She's got her problems, trust me." Marco widened his eyes, jazz hands as he spoke. He scrunched his nose before shaking his head. "So like, how dangerous is this spirit-reviver?" Jackie asked quietly, her voice quavering with a heavy load of concern. "Uhm. A bit. But she'll be okay, I promise. You've got to trust her. And please don't bother arguing, I've already tried the same thing." Marco stood from the bench, Jackie and Janna following. "I'm surprised she went to you for all of this." Janna raised her eyebrows in evident shock, crossing her arms. "Yeah, didn't you guys like... Fight with each other all the time?" Jackie asked, curious. Marco flushed red, but far before he'd even realized, they'd snagged the opportunity to tease him. "Do you-?" Janna grinned from ear to ear, the most clever expression plastered on her face. "Stop! There! Please!! Stop right there!!" Marco threw his hands up to his chest defensively, trying to slowly back away. "Okay, okay. But seriously, why you?" Jackie asked, also quite perplexed. "I don't know either, it was just as surprising to me as it is to you guys. In fact, maybe a bit more surprising." Marco admitted, shrugging. "Hm. Either way, I'm glad that in the end, we're all able to help her." Jackie smiled softly, kind eyes meeting with Marco's and Janna's. They nodded in complete agreement.

Helping. An unusual term for what they were doing. In reality, it was Star going in on the plan alone. No help at all. But she knew exactly what she'd be getting herself into. And so did Marco. The others- not quite as much. But maybe that's why Marco decided to be the one to take initiative. Maybe that's why she confided in him, rather anyone else she'd met in the passing months. Maybe she confided in telling Marco this because she knew he would still protect her. Even from Earth, even from a completely different dimension. And they both knew this. They both knew he'd find a way to get there, too. It was only a matter of time.  
But how much time did they have on the clock?


	11. Groggy

She sliced through the dimensions, cutting precisely perfect and smoothly. Groggy. If she could choose one word to describe how she felt, the exact moment she stepped through the dimensional portal, she'd choose groggy. But it wasn't because she felt sick, no, it was the environment. It felt eerie and unwelcoming as she stepped foot into the swampy location. "Okay, Star. You've got this. Keep your head on straight, and everything will be alright." She mumbled to herself, closing up the portal she'd just arrived through. As she turned around, taking in the scenery, she inhaled- Breathing in the fresh swamp scent. "Lovely." She sarcastically remarked, tilting her head for a split moment as she spoke. As she began to make her way through the swampy region, mud splashed carelessly against her black boots. It was a tad windy- but the air was, un-shockingly, moist and warm. Star had brought along a windbreaker to wear, just in case she needed it. In the current situation, it seemed like she did. A lucky move. What wasn't so lucky, was the moment Star began to hear noises. A faint whispering noise- Like someone was speaking to her in the wind. "Baisley." Star demanded. A whoosh of wam air brushed against her peachy cheeks, thus the only noises she could really hear were of the wind. "I'm not going to pay attention to your mind games, Baisley. I mean business. Right now." Star stood her ground, gripping the sleeves of her jacket. "What makes you think you have the right to come here?" A faint whisper could be heard. "I may not be a perfectly good person, but I'm most definitely not a bad one either." Star scrunched her eyebrows, keeping a stone cold expression. "If you discuss this with me now, I promise I will leave and never come back." Star sighed, her shoulders slouching- moving along with her breathing pattern. "Hm.. That would be the case, yes, if we were to discuss that any time at all." A voice- not too far from where she stood- replied. Star didn't bother to turn in the direction of the sound. Her eyes watched the sky above her, before tilting her head back down to regular eye-level, instead of looking up into the gloomy and dreary sky. "What do you want in return for a discussion?" Star inquired. "Sanity." The soft and gentle voice grew closer with every second Baisley spoke. "Yeah, well, you're not getting that today." Star remarked in a pitifully sarcastic tone. "What do you have to offer?" The voice felt as if it were behind her, a chill running down Star's spine. She sighed, closing her eyes- Seemingly annoyed. "A better person." Star bargained. "Oh?" The voice drew from behind her, and swiftly made it's way to greet her face to face. Star opened her eyes, maintaining her stone cold expression. She was met with a short ghostly figure, whose hair color and skin tone were- incidentally- unidentifiable. Seemed as if the figure were made from mist and particles of reflected light, rather than orbs and dust, or anything else for that matter- Something many happened to debate quite a lot. "If you discuss my situation with me, I swear on your name that I'll try my best to be a better person. I'd take my word to the grave." Star offered. "Hm... What is it you'd like to discuss?" Baisley raised an eyebrow, index and thumb pressed against their chin in thought. "You're able to bring back the dead, my home kingdom is able to restore what was once part of it. I'm asking you to spare my kingdom from overworking itself to the complete and utter fullest extent, and revive my parents so the power left over from my kingdom doesn't have to. Otherwise, it will not be able to bring back all of Mewni." Star spoke, her voice serious and focused. "Your parents have met their end, yes? There is- perhaps- a reason why. Their time has struck, what is the point of bringing your parents back, may I ask?" Baisley tilted their head, voice echoing in soft gentle tones through Star's ears. "I don't know how to run a kingdom on my own, for one. People are going to wonder why their king and queen have disappeared. It's not like they're going to remember they died. They're all going to believe it was one big dream. And if they do find out their supposed 'dream' is real, guess who they're to blame for their king and queen being gone? The only one left that could possibly be held responsible. Me. I want what's best for my people, not for me. I'm no selfish scoundrel, asking for their loved ones to be brought back only for my own sake. This is for my kingdom's sake. They don't need to know anything about me coming to you for help. I won't speak a word about our interactions. Why? I could be greedy and expose your existence, but instead, I'll let you wipe my memory of ever interacting with you, only as long as you help me out. Is this a sound deal?" Star squinted her eyes as she spoke. Although seeming incredibly defensive on the outside- She was utterly intimidated by the ghost. Her kingdom's fate rested in the- almost- nonexistent palms of a legend-turned-myth. She would've brought along Marco like she told him she would do, but Marco and her both knew she did what she wanted to, and there was no way of stopping it. "Well." Baisley debated.

"And you're positive this is going to work?" Jackie worriedly furrowed her eyebrows, watching Janna and Marco set up the tv screen in Marco's living room, making sure it screen mirrored the video call they were about to make to Star. "Positive. She'll call us." Marco answered quickly, assuring her with a smile. Jackie nodded nervously, as Janna tossed her a sympathetic smile as well. "We're all worried about her, it's okay. But she knows what she's doing." Janna walked away from the tv, sitting down on the couch beside Jackie and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Right, right. I'm sorry, I know this isn't something I should be worried about, but she's still our friend and I don't want her to get hurt." Jackie mumbled, looking to her twiddling thumbs. "I'm pretty sure she's got it all handled. She's a strong gal." Marco added to the conversation, as he adjusted the HDMI cables and the audio and visual wires. "All set up." He stood up from his knees, brushing his hands together before wiping them down on jeans. He plopped down on the couch, the other side of Jackie. With Janna to her left, and Marco to her right, Jackie felt safe in the sandwich of her friends. Although she didn't tell her mind to stop thinking to absolute worst, and she definitely let her heart continue racing in nervousness, she let her muscles relax as she sat back and awaited the call from Star, anxiously.

It was around nine at night when Star made the call. Jackie and Janna had left around 6, for dinner was soon, and their parents didn't want them staying out too late on a school night. It was unexpected, to say the least. Marco left the wires and cables plugged into the tv, but he had taken his laptop back upstairs and into his room for the night. They'd try again in the morning, if Star hadn't called them back before then. But she did. Marco had just gotten out of the shower, and was finally changed into a fresh new pair of comfy clothes. Pajama's, to specify. A black graphic design t-shirt, and red and black plaid pajama pants. Baggy, of course. His hair was a mess- scraggly and messed up, as well as dripping wet. It appeared curly, though his natural hair state was straight. He ran his fingers through his hair, forming a whiff with his bangs. And for the most random reason ever, he was wearing his reading glasses. Now, Marco didn't do a lot of reading. Or at least, not lately. He'd been too wrapped up in the passing months to even both picking up a good book. But tonight, he told himself that tonight, he was going to brush away the outside world and take a few hours to sit down and relax. Read a book. Evidently, that wasn't going to happen. The ringing came from Marco's laptop. He'd say down to read the book about a good thirty minutes prior to the call, so he didn't mind the interruption. As Marco set down the book, his bare feet noisily carried their way over to his desk where the laptop sat. Noticing right away that it was Star calling, he sat down immediately and answered the call. "Sta-!...r?" He exclaimed, but only before he called to her in a questioning manner, mid-way into saying her name. "Marco." Star greeted. Her side of the video chat was not enabled. "Uh. Do you know how to video call, Star?" "Yes, Marco. I'm not that uneducated with Earth." Star retorted, sounding a bit annoyed. "What's the deal? You were supposed to call earlier." Marco switched the topic of conversation. "Two things. First, the reason you can't see anything is because I disabled my camera. Second, there may be a problem."


	12. The Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Cardiff Brothers - I've Been Thinkin

"What's the problem?" Marco asked worriedly. "Well.." Star began.

"No." Star froze. "Wh-" She began, but was unfortunately cut off by Baisley. "No, because unless you fully accept to suffer the consequences of a certain situation, I cannot- and will not- perform the practice." Baisley informed. "What consequences?" Star furrowed her eyebrows, growing evidently more curious- Yet wary. "It is not impossible for me to turn things back to 'normal.' You know so." Baisley began. "Your point?" "My point being, if you want things to return to the way they were, you would have to forget everything that's happened since you arrived on Earth. You would have no memory of the people you have befriended there. You'd never remember the moments you've made during your time on Earth. Now of course I can't change time, so I'd be replacing those memories with fake memories. Memories that'll make everyone forget that they were even thinking of going to war. All will be well. Your parents would be alive, your kingdom, and you'd be happy again. Everyone on Earth that has even had a slight memory of you, those memories will be erased as well. Proof will be erased that you were even there. It'll be as if you're waking up to yet another normal day on Mewni. You'd never know any of this happened. You wouldn't remember anything, but you'd have everything back to the way it was before." Baisley finished, a serious tone in their voice. Star contemplated the choice. Have everything back to the way she'd been wishing it was back to, or live with the fact she gave up everything she's ever had and known- For Earth, new memories, and a new life. She didn't quite enjoy the idea of living without her parents forever, it wasn't something she wanted to happen. But she also didn't want to feel as if the past few months weren't real. She didn't want to live a life in which she felt as if everything was all a dream. Fake. Unreal. No, that'd scare her to death. Living on Earth with that feeling alone was already too much to handle. Star sighed, closing her eyes. "I don't know." Star admitted. "A few months ago you would've taken this choice in a heartbeat." Baisley pointed out, almost teasingly. "How have things changed so quickly?" They asked. "You wouldn't understand. There's things there that are... Ethereal." Star breathed out her words, letting them flow out of her mouth unfiltered. "Oh? Is that so?" Baisley's voice grew soft, but still stung like a knife at Star's heart- As she knew her choices would have major consequences. "So what is it gonna be, queen?" Baisley asked in a sing-song voice. "I.. I don't know. I know all I've ever wanted this entire time was to go back home, to live the life I used to live, but after everything that's happened, I don't want to forget any of this. There's gotta be some other way." Star pleaded. "I cannot." Baisley sternly stated. "I came here with the intention of going back home, and that's still my intention- I just- I know that I've also grown into... Into a new me. I've grown here. Matured here. I've learned things here that I didn't know back when I lived in Mewni. I now know that I can be kind of arrogant. I can be selfish. I can be hurtful and inconsiderate. I can be naïve. I'm still the same age I was when I arrived, but I've grown. Grown in a sense that I have accumulated more knowledge and wisdom than I initially thought I would." She admitted. "So?" Baisley asked her. "I can't make a decision." Star spoke slowly, realizing something had changed inside of her. "It's easy. You leave your memories and get your kingdom back, or you lose it all to stay on Earth- as is." Baisley stated coldly, almost sounding impatient. Star couldn't make up her mind. After all this time- all the trouble she's gone through just to get this moment- did she really want to erase it all? Forget it ever happened? Lose all the lessons she'd never learned on Mewni? Her parents made the choice to begin this war, but in the end, it was Star who would determine who finished it and won. Complete control of her future path was right in her palms at this point, and to her surprise- She refused to make a decision.

"You couldn't choose?" Marco raised an eyebrow, making sure he understood the story Star was explaining to him. "Marco, I don't know what to do." Star held her breath every pause, making her voice- and breathing- shaky, every time she spoke. "Star, I know how miserable Earth is to you. You've come so far to bring back Mewni and your parents, and now you can. Star, we'd never forget you. Baisley can replace and remove your mind's memories, but they cannot remove your heart's." Marco explained, frowning. From across the call, he'd hear a quiet sigh. "That's not the same." Star spoke after a few minutes. "Mewni is where I've grown up and lived my entire life. My parents raised me and loved me and taught me so many important things. I miss them. I miss my kingdom. I miss everything about my home. But I don't want to give up remembering the most thrilling experience of my entire life. I don't want to forget the people and the moments. The places, the scenery, the conversations. None of it. I never want to forget it. Ever. But if I don't accept this offer, where else will I get an offer like this? If I don't accept the offer, what are my chances of getting out of here sane?" Star rambled on and on, worried and convinced she'd reached a fork in the road. "Star." Marco sighed, almost regretfully. "Accept it." "What?" Star quickly replied, evidently surprised to hear Marco's response. "Star, I want you to be safe. We all do. We've been anxiously waiting for you all week. If bringing back Mewni means you're safe, please. Star, I want you to be okay. I know Earth can be... Overwhelming. But in your situation-" Marco took a moment to catch his thoughts and take a breath. "In your situation, you are so much more than just overwhelmed. You're drowning, and I can see it. You don't deserve this. You deserve happiness and safety. Please, Star. You've come so far." He pleaded.   
"We both knew this would happen eventually." Marco stated, his words quiet- yet still loud enough for Star to hear. "I didn't get to say goodbye." Star mumbled. "Then don't. Maybe one day we'll see each other again." Marco gave a pained smile, his voice soft and quiet. "Marco, I hope you know that we're all going to eventually forget everything that's really happened since I came." Star said, almost like she was trying to convince him to beg her to stay. "What about that conversation we needed to address? The one I told you we'd talk about when I get back?" Star worriedly asked, quieter than ever. "I trust you'll make the decision you know is best." Marco stated, turning his camera off so he could wipe away a few stray tears without having Star take notice. "I..." Star found that she was at a loss of words. They sat in utter silence for a while, with only the white noise and breathing between the two. "I have to go to sleep, Star." Marco spoke up, breaking the ice. "Right... Um.. Marco, before it's- uh.. Too late... Would you please tell Jackie and Janna that I said thank you..?" She inquired. Marco gave a soft chuckle before mumbling a quiet "of course." "Goodnight, Safe Kid..." "Goodnight, Star..."

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	13. For The Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Star contemplates her choice, as the gang tries to take their minds off the thought of losing her. Star tells herself there must be another way, and tells Baisley she doesnt need them. That there must be another way. Baisley doubts her, but tells her good luck- She has a good heart and they know it. Star goes back on her search, Baisley allowing her to keep her memories of them- for the sake of just in case Star's search for another way, doesn't work. Baisley... baisley takes a liking in Star, because they see themself in her. Star returns to her journey,

my heart burns like a fire raging on through a storm, and with every moment that sets my heart alight, the fire crackles into a million little sparks. i am not porcelain, for i am not as delicate. but do not mistake me for an unbreakable glass, as I am not strong either. i am a balloon lost in the wind, sailing into the sky and drifting further apart from you- the only thing I've ever known. you kept me grounded, and now that i am without you, i believe that all i will ever do is aimlessly float until the very end of time. until we may one day meet again. my love, i hope to find thy once again- lest we say goodbye.

"It's okay." Marco frowned, wrapping his arms around Jackie in hopes of comforting her. "I know it's for the best, but I- I'm gonna miss her. I'm gonna miss everything." Jackie held tight against Marco's torso, tears drenching his jacket. "Whoa- oh, okay. Wh- what's the matter here? Is Jackie okay?" Janna asked, raising an eyebrow and pointing to Jackie as she peered to Marco- nonchalantly eating a sandwich wrap she'd got at the school food bar. Janna sat down at the table, watching the scene go down. Marco peered to Janna, not even one hint of annoyance in his expression- which was unusual, as most of her greetings were typically welcomed with an annoyed or weirded-out Marco. Not today. "Is everything okay?" Janna slowly grew a bit worried, setting down her food on her tray. "Janna, uh.. This is going to change a lot of.. Things.." Marco began. "You guys aren't having-" She began, jokingly. "Janna." "Right, sorry. Continue." She apologized. "Star. She called last night after you guys left." Marco spoke slowly, Jackie sitting up and wiping her puffy eyes. She brushed her hair out of her face. Janna furrowed her eyebrows, "What'd she say..?" Marco cleared his throat, almost as if he was trying his best- himself- not to cry. "Sh- Uh. Well, Star is obviously in a spot of responsibility, and she wants to do what is best for her... kingdom. You understand that, right?" Marco raised his eyebriow, his arm still over Jackie's shoulder. "Of course, why? What's wrong? Did something happen? Is Star okay?" Janna bombarded worriedly. "She's okay!- Just... Difficulties. She has to choose to lose all her memories here on Earth- making us also forget she ever existed and that these past few months ever even happened- for the sake of bringing Mewni back, or remember it all and live with the guilt that she could've gone back home and saved thousands upon thousands of lives. Including her parents." Marco sighed. "A pressuring decision.." Janna caught on. "I just want what's best for her, you know?" Marco forced a smile. "It's okay to not want to forget her, you know." Janna told them, smiling a bit. Jackie chuckled a bit, past her sniffles. "Haha. She'll forget she even had a temporary sister for a few months. Hah. She always really wanted sisters. She used to tell me that a lot. She liked having a sister." Jackie sniffled, wiping her tears. Marco patted her shoulder. Janna passed Jackie an apologetic smile. "Star used to talk to me about things too. Not much, though. I remember her telling me, once, that one thing she liked about being on Earth were seeing city lights. She thought they looked pretty- Like stars." Janna snickered at the last word. There was a long silence before Marco began to speak. "Star used to talk to me about how she felt overwhelmed and how stressful and terrifying it was to have all this responsibility on her shoulders." He explained. Janna and Jackie peered to Marco, Jackie hugging Marco as assurance. "She- uh... She and I called each other these stupid nick names." He laughed, remembering her teasing him for being such a "safe kid." "That time you guys left to go home when we all planned that day to make her feel better, I took her to the pond she used to go to. The one they found her at when she went-" He paused. "missing." He croaked. "She told me about how Earth may not be as cool as half of the places she's been to, but that moment was definitely ranked as one of her top favorite memories." He told, smiling reminiscently. "What exactly did she say before you guys hung up?" Janna asked, tilting her head in curiosity. Jackie pulled from the hug, as Marco slipped his arms back to himself- Messing with the ends of his sleeves. "Well, she wanted me to tell you both something." "What did she say?" Jackie inquired, furrowing her eyebrows. "She- uh.. She wanted me to thank you for her. Even though we'll all forget soon, she wanted me to tell you both that she's thankful for everything you've done for her. She appreciates it. A lot." Marco forced a smile, looking up to the both of them. Jackie and Janna peered to each other for a split moment, before both pairs of eyes landed back on Marco. "I know it's hard to let go of everything that's happened these past few months, but this is for her." Jackie tossed Marco a smile, hoping to lighten things up. "This is for her and everyone else depending on her." Jackie stated. "I know, I know." Marco nodded. "Hey, how about after school we all enjoy our time together and get some fro-yo?" Jackie insisted. "Sounds good, I'm in." Janna quickly jumped in, evidently very down for the idea. Marco nodded, "Sure, that'll take things off my mind for a bit, I hope. It'll be fun." He assure himself aloud. "Yeah, see? Exactly!" Jackie supported happily, patting Marco's shoulder. "Let's finish our lunch, first, though." Marco laughed, as all of them nodded in agreement and broke into small snickers.

Now, Star didn't want to make a choice. That was more evident than anything. But she didn't want to pass up such a rare offer, either. There was a lot to be processed, and Star Butterfly knew that all too well. But she processed it before acting instinctively. As she played with her hair, she ran her pale fingers through the black and blonde strands. Her hair wasn't all too appealing as much anymore, it was obvious her hair was growing out. But evidently, that was the least of her worries. Baisley had given her 72 hours to make a decision, before the offer was dropped. With practically two and a half days left to decide, here she was.- sat propped against the trunk of a tree and lost in deep thought. Would her parents want her to be happy, or would they want her to act as a real queen and put her kingdom before her own wants? Why couldn't she have both? Why couldn't she have both? If magic existed and was as powerful as people made it out to be, there had to be some way to make keeping both as an option. "Baisley..?" She called, almost questioningly. "Yes, my queen?" Baisley replied within almost an instant. She hesitated, before speaking up again. "Baisley.. You know that I would do whatever it takes to bring my kingdom back." Star slowly began. "So you've made up your mind." Baisley assumed. "No, not really. I mean- I'm... I know that I'm supposed to do what I have to, but if that means never actually getting what I know would be good for me- for everyone- what's the point? As much as I want Mewni back, and as much as I'm sure Mewmans want to be alive, I'm also positive that they wouldn't want to live a lie. Their death means something, and as of right now I'm not sure what yet- But they didn't die for nothing. Making everyone forget isn't a lesson learned. There's so many things wrong with it, that I don't know where to begin. I think I've come to a conclusion and.. I'm sorry." Star explained, tugging at her hair. "Are you telling me the queen of Mewni is not bringing back her kingdom?" Baisley inquired, almost as if they were trying to provoke her. "No, I'm not telling you that." Star bared her teeth frustratedly. She took a moment to pause and breathe, sighing and shutting her eyes. "I've made my decision, I think." She mumbled the last two words, before opening her eyes. She picked up her bag, gripping it tight. "If there really is a way to bring Mewni back, there's gotta be a way I can do it and still remember everything that's happened since." Star stated, her confidence quivering. "That's... pathetic. There is only one way to bring your Mewni back." Baisley took a pause between their words, sounding almost uncertain of what they were saying, themselves. "There's gotta be more than one way, and I believe in that completely." Star stood her ground, her expression stern. It was obvious there was no shaking her, now. Baisley was silent for a while, before revealing themself. They let their ghostly, mist figure appear before Star's eyes. "Butterfly. I don't typically let this slide, but... Get out of here. Go find what you know will be best for your kingd- No. For everyone. It is beyond my capability to do what you are seeking for, but you are right. There must be a way. I will not... Well.. I.. I won't remove your memory of this. Of coming to see me. I see.... I see potential. I see... I see that you are unshakable. You are... You remind me of... Myself. But I'd advise you to leave as soon as you can, as I may change my mind. I have never thought to let anything like this slide, but... I like to say... I understand what you are going through. It is evident that you will do whatever it takes to do what is best for everyone, as I adhere to that as well. Go. Do what you must." Baisley mumbled, their cold and misty figure placed a freezing hand to Star's shoulder with hope. And to that, Star set off to continue her journey. But there was one question burning inside her, that sunk deep into her mind. Where would she start?


End file.
